Cuffed Up
by 1SquealsnFeels
Summary: Flynn and Lucy find themselves in a perilous situation with their lives and their hearts. This is from a prompt I saw on Tumblr in January, "Am I Dead?" "No, but you're going to wish you were." Set somewhere after S1xE10...E11... Shout out to my betatizer, TheUncertainCertainty for helping me out with this one!
1. Chapter 1 - DAY ONE

"Are you going to kiss me?"

"Do you want me to?"

"I need you Garcia."

"I'm right here."

"...Am I dead?"

"No, but you're going to wish you were."

"Lucy."

The deep voice was very near, talking to her, calling her back to consciousness. Slowly turning her head side to side, her brow furrowed in pain. Why did her head feel like a loaded sack of wet cement?

"Lucy."

The only thing she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep good. But her head! As she raised her hand to rub relief into the throbbing going on above her eyes, she felt it catch on something.

What the-.

"Lucy, wake up."

...Wait...did deep voice have an accent like…? She slowly opened her eyes. Blinking them to focus, a handsome face with dark green eyes and dark stubble came into view…

Flynn?!

"What? ...What's happening?" Groggily attempting to sit up and lift her right hand again, it was held fast. Looking down she saw the reason.

It was cuffed.

"Wha-?" Trying to make sense through the fuzziness, she raised her wrist. Her eyes traveled the length of the cuff over to the masculine wrist it was attached to on the other end. Realization dawned on her as she looked up at Flynn who had been watching her slowly figure out their predicament.

"Why am I cuffed to you?" She asked in a low voice of dread.

"I just asked you the same question." Lucy gave him a skeptical look as he continued, "Then you asked if I were going to kiss you."

Embarrassed, she squeezed her eyes shut, raising her free hand to rub her forehead. "That was out loud? I thought I was dreaming."

One of his eyebrows rose. "I'm in your dreams?"

Growing annoyed, she ignored his question as she struggled on to her knees and fired off questions at him.

"What did you do? How did we get here? What scheme are you doing now?!"

"I'm in the dark as you. I woke up next to a babbling woman not knowing how I got here."

Lucy sighed, "Well that's just great." Checking herself out, she saw that she was in her blue jeans, white t-shirt, blue cardigan and beige low top Converse. The clothes she had on yesterday. That is, if yesterday was yesterday because she had no idea how long she had been unconscious.

Flynn rubbed his head and the back of his neck. He had been shocked to wake up and find himself lying on a mattress, cuffed to Lucy. The last time he even saw her was a couple months ago. Noticing that he was still dressed in his navy-blue t-shirt, black jeans and black Nikes, of which he had on yesterday, he figured it was the next day. Maybe the next day. Judging from the heavy, thickness that he felt in his thrumming head, he'd been drugged hard. So, who really knew how long it had been? And, where were they?

"We have to figure a way out of here." He moved to get up, pulling Lucy's arm in the process.

"Ugh, we're cuffed weird." Holding up her right wrist she revealed that the cuff was on Flynn's right wrist too.

"I noticed." He got up from the mattress holding his hand out to her.

Taking it, she grumbled as he pulled her up. "This is unreal."

Looking up at their surroundings, it appeared that they were in a non-furnished room...of sorts. It had a very high ceiling with rusty crisscrossing steel beams near the top. The only thing in there was the full mattress they had been laying on and them. The room smelled like mildew and old. Stretching out her free hand to the nearest wall, she touched it. It was cold, solid concrete which matched the floors.

"A warehouse maybe?" She guessed.

Peering up, he saw two small dirty windows with a little sunlight fighting to shine through the grime. They were at least three stories high, so they weren't a means for escape. Flynn moved over to the door causing Lucy to trail behind him. It was a steel sliding one which, unfortunately, looked pretty sturdy. A long vertical metal handle stuck out along the side of the door. Grabbing it with both his hands, he tried to slide it open. No luck.

"Here, let me help." Lucy offered placing her petite hands on the handle too.

Flynn kind of just looked at her as she placed her back to him, positioning her small frame, all ready to push. So, he just went with it. Encircling his arms around her, he placed one hand above and below hers and counted off.

"One, two, three, push."

Straining hard against the handle resulted them nothing. Both stopped, drawing in some breaths.

"Again." He breathed out. "One, two, three, push."

Giving it all they had, it didn't budge, and they stopped. Leaning back against the door from the exertion, he looked at Lucy.

"Now would be a good time for your little friends to show up."

"I'm sure they'll be looking for me-."

His finger shot up to his lips stopping her mid-sentence. Falling silent she strained to hear what Flynn heard. The metal door was cold as he pressed his ear against it. Lucy turned and pressed hers to the door too, bringing them face to face as they listened intently. Footsteps were approaching. Their eyes met, he gave a quick flick over his shoulder as he gently pulled and placed her behind him.

The feet shuffled to a stop right outside. Then silence.

And more silence.

Holding their breaths, they strained to hear whoever it was lurking on the other side. He was taking forever. What was the guy doing? Suddenly locks were unlocking followed by the telling noise of a metal bar sliding. Flynn and Lucy watched as the door began to slide open. Determined to escape, Flynn braced and readied himself for whatever might come through.

Just as a man stepped in, Flynn socked him with his left, spun the guy around and locked him into a one-armed choke hold and squeezed. The man's arms flailed a bit with Lucy dodging out of the way, trying not to get hit. The man struggled against him to no avail and started to blackout. His hands clutched at Flynn's arm, who in turn, squeezed even harder. With his air thoroughly cut off, the man finally passed out and Flynn let him slump to the floor.

Breathing hard, sweat dotted his forehead as he quickly kneeled, pulling Lucy along with him. He padded the guy's body all over and went through his jacket pockets coming up with nothing.

"No key?" Rising, he towed Lucy over to the door as he answered, "I was looking for a gun."

Quickly, he stuck his head out of the room and saw no one and turned to her, "Stay with me."

"Do I have a choice?"

He took her hand in response, and they left the room.

The warehouse they were in was very big, dusty and rundown. Rusted beams ran along the ceiling near the top with old forgotten, dilapidated, desks and work counters lining the walls. A chaotic pile of old office chairs sat rusting in a far corner. There were more dirty brown broken windows than whole, and puddles of standing water strung about.

They sprinted across the floor about forty yards to the opposite end finding it challenging, moving around, chained together. A much larger sliding door that was about two stories tall loomed before them as they came to a stop. Flynn unlatched the lock and braced his hands on the handle. Lucy placed hers underneath his, and together they pushed, putting all their weight into it. The massive metal door slowly slid open with a rusty, creaking grind. Stopping short, they took in their surprise surroundings.

"Definitely not San Francisco." Flynn stated flatly.

"Where the heck are we?" Lucy wondered with annoyance.

They were in some kind of woods. Before them was a wide open circular dirt area with a couple of other buildings lining the edge of it. Beyond that were the trees. On the far left was a ten-foot link fence between the warehouse they were in and another small building. Before them was a smaller old warehouse which was being taken over by the growing woods and bushes. The right had no buildings and appeared to have less trees, making it seem like the best route for them to take.

Flynn took her cuffed hand in his. "We're making a run for it. Head towards those trees on the right."

Gripping his hand, she nodded. "OK."

Adrenaline rising to the next level, they stepped outside the shelter of the warehouse and made for the trees. In the stillness of the afternoon, their feet pounded the ground, closing the distance between them and their destination, until the unmistakable report of a gun cracked the silence.

The bullet zipped past their heads and was quickly followed by another. Dirt flew up around their feet as they simultaneously slid, pivoted and ran in the opposite direction with Lucy in the lead. More bullets flew as they crouched low and headed straight to the chain fence between the two buildings. They veered over to where it went behind the small building to gain some coverage.

Lucy grabbed the fence and pulled herself up as Flynn boosted her even further with a firm hand to her butt. Gripping the metal links, he hauled his body up, coordinating his climb with hers. Lucy just made it over to the other side as he swung his leg over the top. About a third of the way down the other side, he simply dropped to the ground, reached up, grabbed Lucy around her waist and yelled, "Let go!"

She did just that, fell back and he caught her. Their hands found each other again as they shot off deep into the woods.

They dodged, twisted and ducked through the trees, threading a mad path as Flynn guided them with a death grip on Lucy's hand. Her mind raced as they ran on the uneven ground filled with roots, rocks and snagging limbs. Determined to keep up with his pace, she forged on, but several minutes later, it was too much.

"Flynn! Flynn!"

He looked back at her and slowed a bit.

"Over there!" He pointed.

A cropping of large rocks that had a thick canopy of trees growing around them was up ahead. Flynn slowed them down even more due to the need to high step it over numerous smaller rocks, branches and bushes. Moving around to the opposite side of the cluster, they came to a stop. Both desperately gulped air into their strained lungs as they dropped heavily to their knees facing each other.

Sweat fell from Lucy's face as she breathed hard and struggled to get air. Head down and dripping, Flynn, on all fours, took in deep breaths trying to slow his heart rate. All that could be heard in the woods was their labored breathing and their pulse drumming in their ears.

After a minute, Lucy ran her sleeve over her forehead as she squeezed out between breaths, "You know who they are?"

Flynn shook his head, "No." He looked around them at their surroundings. Trees, nothing but trees, endless trees. There had to be a road somewhere.

"There's got to be a road around here." Lucy parroted his thoughts as she sat on the ground to rest.

He sat back on his heels and kept his eyes on the woods as he pulled the hem of his t-shirt up and used it to wipe the moisture from his face and neck. Of their own accord, Lucy's eyes fell to the dark hair that spread out over his broad chest down to his stomach and beyond. "More than likely it was in the direction we tried to go from the warehouse." He muffled as her eyes snapped back up to his hand that moved the shirt over his face one last time before he dropped it and tugged it down. "Maybe doubling back, we could-."

His words were cut short by the distinct sound of dogs barking in the distance. A lot of dogs.

"Oh no." Lucy groaned as she looked around getting up on her hands and knees.

Flynn sprung to his feet and pulled her the rest of the way up. "Come on."

Sprinting off, they could hear shouts of voices mingled with the barking.

They pressed on through to a part of the woods that got dense with a knot of trees so close together that it made it difficult to get around and through them.

"You hear that?" Lucy asked.

He did. Through the packed crowded woods, the sound of running water met their ears. Eagerly they moved toward it and came to the banks of a small muddy river. Down the side of the embankment they went and headed straight into the water in the hopes of the dogs losing their scent.

Flynn reached for Lucy's hand as their feet stepped in and submerged into the chilled murkiness. Moving out toward the middle, the water came to Flynn's calves and up to Lucy's thighs. The river bottom was covered with slippery rocks that made it tricky to stay upright, with Flynn slipping once, but they crossed through the water to the other side. Barking reached them again as they looked up and saw that the creek curved just ahead of them.

"Get to the bend!" Flynn yelled.

They placed the very last of what they had into it and ran along inside the water's edge towards their target. Lucy marveled. The bend was just right there, but as they dashed on, it felt unreachable, so far away, as if it were moving just out of their grasp. Finally, the bank began to ease them around the curve and just beyond. Once they made the turn, they ran on some more until Flynn slowed them down.

"Let's stay in the water." He stopped, placed his hands on his thighs to catch his breath and was hit with a fit of coughing.

Lucy hunched over, hair sticking to her sweaty face. A sudden wave of bile rose in her, and before she knew it, she threw up. The feeling of flames tried to consume her face as a bout of half coughing, half gagging racked her followed by more vomiting.

Still breathing hard, Flynn placed his hand on her back as she spit and wiped her mouth. "Don't hear the dogs, but we need to keep moving."

Light headed, she breathed out as she slowly stood erect and agreed, "Yeah."

He took her hand and they moved on at a quick pace inside the confines of the water along the river's edge, hoping to place as much distance between them and danger as possible.


	2. Chapter 2 - DAY ONE

Her feet had grown numb walking in the icy water, so now they went along the river's edge on land. Lucy found it was difficult to keep from falling while awkwardly attached to a six-foot four man. And speaking of being attached to said man, because of the whack job who cuffed them all funky, it forced them to walk one behind each other and so far, it had been Lucy bringing up the rear most of the time.

In the middle of her mental gripe, Lucy spotted a small little waterfall that fed into the small river. "Over there!" She took off towards it with Flynn in tow. They reached the little falls and peered at the water. "It looks clear," she surmised. "But that doesn't mean anything."

"I'm taking my chances." Flynn kneeled, stuck his free hand under the gurgling crystal water and sopped it up with some escaping and drizzling down his arm and neck. Lucy followed suit. The chilled water filled her cupped palm and she brought it dripping to her dry lips. Not having had a drink of anything since Saturday, plus all the drugging, running, shooting, dogs and just being plain freaked out, both were soothed by the crispy coldness of the water. Their parched tongues and throats received the much-needed liquid as it flowed into their dehydrated bodies. Lucy splashed some on her face, doing her best to remove the mascara and eyeliner that had been stinging her eyes from all the sweating. They sat and rested for a time in between taking drinks. Lucy took the opportunity to find out some answers.

"OK, who have you ticked off now?" She asked calmly but laced with accusation.

He looked back at her as he rubbed water over his face and neck, "If I were you, I would ask myself why instead of who."

"OK, why have you ticked them off?"

"You don't know that it's me."

"You think it's me?" She retorted. "Haven't seen you in months and suddenly I'm waking up drugged and handcuffed to you. I'm starting to wonder if this is all punishment."

Locking eyes with her, he replied, "Not a picnic for me either."

Months had gone by since she'd seen hide or hair of him and suddenly she wakes up chained to the MIA Flynn. Christopher and Mason Industries had called the team for a meeting regarding the subject of their missions. They sat around the conference table as Christopher announced, "Since for these past months, Garcia Flynn has ceased and desisted from his activities, we are in the immediate process of dialing back all our surveillance on him. As of this day, there will be minimal watch over Garcia Flynn.

"So basically, he stop, we stop." Rufus punctuated with a quick spread of his hands.

Wyatt sat forward in his seat, "Good! Personally, I would love to not have to jump from time to time chasing him anymore."

"Do we know where he is?" Lucy asked hesitantly.

Christopher placed her finger tips on the table, leaning forward, "Shockingly, he's just been doing basic life. Going about from his loft in the historical district to generic places like the market, the barber, and…," She looked around at them, "It appears he's been getting into high end antique dealing."

"Legally?" Wyatt suspicioned simultaneously with Rufus' disbelief, "Flynn got a job?"

Christopher slowly nodded, "Yes to both. So, there's nothing more we can do but take this as a blessing and get back to our own lives of which, I'm sure we all want to do. But," She held up a finger, "you are all still on call for the next six months if anything should change. So, don't book any flights to Tahiti just yet."

"Sorry, Jiya," Rufus smiled to the woman on his right, "Maybe, Napa instead."

Rolling her eyes, yet smiling lovingly at him, she replied, "That would be just as nice."

"Alright," Christopher stepped back from the table. "You're all dismissed…until further notice. And keep your cells charged!"

Lucy had left the meeting bewildered that not only had Flynn stopped his missions, as far as they could tell, but that he actually was doing something else. Something different and resourceful like working a normal job. Granted it was a relief to know he'd stop his mad dashing through time, but what or who could have possibly gotten him to do that? It didn't add up. So vehement he was about getting his wife and daughter back, solely fueled and running off the adrenaline of crushing grief and loneliness and then… All sudden silence from his end. Nothing. At all.

Did something happen? Did he run out of money? Was he sick? Would she ever find out since now she wouldn't be seeing him anymore? She supposed she could go in and ask Christopher for his exact where abouts, but certain it wouldn't be received well and sure that she couldn't get the information without first answering a plethora of questions, of which she didn't want to answer, the option was out. Euphoric relief should have been dancing beside her, but what she was feeling now could only be named as...uneasiness.

Where was Flynn and what had changed for him?

Breaking into her thoughts, Flynn pointed away from the river, "This way?" Lucy looked over at him.

Here was Flynn. Attached to her arm and running along with her for their lives.

Slowly dropping his pointing hand Flynn waited for her response noticing the flush that had been clinging to her now clean face was gone, replaced by pure fatigue of which he felt too. Her gaze travel over his face and settled on his eyes making his pulse increase. What was she thinking? Even void of makeup and filled with tiredness, Lucy was still…

He broke their connection.

Roughly, running his hand through his hair and wanting to move past the awkwardness that was now hanging between them, he asked "Ready?"

She closed her eyes and nodded, "Sure."

Rising, he helped her to her feet and they headed away from the river.

Neither of them said a word for a while as they walked on through the trees. Lucy tuned her ears to listen to the woods, doing her best to keep from falling into the sucking thoughts of doom. The birds in the trees, rustling of little animals, squirrels perhaps, their own feet crunching leaves and breaking twigs, and Flynn's breathing. Oddly enough, she found comfort in the latter. It sounded nice. Sure she was headed into delirium, he suddenly asked, "What was the last thing you remember?"

Lucy thought a bit. "I was at the grocery store."

The ground gradually began to rise into a wooded hill. To keep from slipping Lucy reached her cuffed hand out and patted his and without even looking back at her, he easily took it, as he asked, "Do you recall running into anyone?"

Filing back into her memory of the short trip, she replied, "No, not anyone suspicious."

"Do you remember getting back to your car?" He pressed.

"Funny. I remember leaving with my bags and being in the parking lot walking towards it." She fell silent for a beat. "And the next thing I saw…was you."

"Was there a van parked next to your car?"

"Now that, I don't remember."

"From the store." Flynn said more to himself than her.

The hill gave way to a more leveled out wooded land again and they came upon a random old wood and wire fence. The height came to just above Lucy's waist. Looking up and down the fence she saw no opening and sighed, "Another fence to climb." She put her hands on one of the wood post that held the wires up at intervals and made ready to climb over when Flynn stopped her.

"Here." He positioned her in front of him with her back to his chest and suddenly swept her up into his arms causing her to squeak. Shifting her over the fence, he leaned down and easily placed her on the other side. He braced one of his hands on the wood post and one on the top wire and effortlessly leaped his body over to her side.

Flynn looked off into the trees as he took her hand and tugged, "Let's keep moving."

Trying not to be impressed with Flynn's agility and the ease of which he had picked her up, like there was no difference between her and a tea cup, she continued with the conversation.

"Um, what about you?"

"I was at home." Flynn stepped over a fallen tree in their way and helped Lucy over as well.

"They got you straight out of your home?"

"Looks that way."

"I would think your home would be locked down with booby traps."

"…I'm not paranoid."

Trying to put it together, Lucy asked, "So... you were just at home...relaxing?" Not missing the surprised inflection in her voice, he stopped and let her hand go, "I had some down time."

"Down time?" She said raising her eyebrows.

"You find that surprising?"

"I do. You're the busiest man I know." One shoulder made an almost imperceptible shrug, "Just have a hard time imagining someone like you, taking advantage of it, just to relax."

Something unreadable passed over his eyes, "I was lying on my sofa. Next thing I know, I'm waking up handcuffed to you."

An image of Flynn lying on his couch all sprawled out popped in her mind.

"Were you napping?"

He frowned, "Yes. Why?"

She shook her head, "Find it hard to believe you take naps."

He raised his free hand to rub his eyes as he said, "Contrary to what you may believe Lucy, I am human."

He walked on pulling her with him.

Flynn had spent a good hunk of Saturday doing everything but relaxing. Research was what occupied him, and he wasn't going to tell Lucy that because it was research on the man she had a date with that Friday night.

The man didn't sit well with him to the point that he wanted to see if he could find out more info on him. And he did. His name was Geoffrey Marsden and he frequented a particular high end eating lounge on the westside on Saturdays. So, Flynn found out the exact location and waited outside in his car until late afternoon for the man to show up. Once the man arrived and went inside, he followed him in nonchalant.

Flynn stepped inside the restaurant and removed his sunglasses. Inside were tall dark wood booths lining the parameter of the walls. Not too many people were in there as it looked like a place that more than likely got busy as the night went on into the wee hours. Casually, Flynn walked over and slid into the booth next to Geoffrey's. A server came by and he ordered a lager. Occupying himself on his cell phone, he listened and waited intently to hear anything the man would say. Flynn was just about halfway done with his lager when he heard the guys cell phone buzz on the wooden tabletop and he answered it on the second buzz. Flynn leaned back to listen in on his one-sided conversation.

"Hey -Yeah, last night -Lucy was everything you said she was -She's pretty and sweet -How did your end go today? -That's good -This is going to work -Oh? -Is that so? -Then, I'm a lucky guy –Tonight -8 o'clock."

The man terminated his call, got up and walked out.

Flynn bided his time and waited there ten minutes, casually finishing his drink before he placed money on the table and left.

He was already halfway out of his leather jacket as he entered his loft an hour and a half later. A deep cushy chair caught the jacket as he tossed it, flipped the light switch and headed straight to the kitchen. The refrigerator door slammed as he twisted off the gold jagged cap of a beer and down the cold brew feeling the iciness slowly pour down his throat to his stomach. The amber liquid reflected the warm lamp light coming from his living room as he turned and placed his elbows on the dark soapstone island and set the bottle down.

For all intents and purposes, it sounded like Lucy just went out with the guy and it went well. He took another drink. She was, after all, a grown, attractive, intelligent woman. Bound to get plenty of offers. And not too many men who wouldn't want to be with her. Was this guy really interested in Lucy? Or was he trying to get something from her? What did he want if that were so? How did they meet? Was Lucy actually interested in him? He'd have to look more into the guy.

And that was a needling question at the back of his mind, pushing to be asked. Why was he making it his business to check this guy out? For Lucy's sake? He told himself that he just wanted to make sure...what?

That she was safe.

 _Are you now her self-appointed protector? Because you're not very good at that._

Wanting to escape the directions of his thoughts, he drained the rest of his beer and tossed the bottle into the recycle bin.

Stretched out on his leather sofa with his arms crossed over his chest, he stared up at the exposed pipes and air ducts while Lucy lingered on the periphery of his mind. Shifting, he slipped his cell from his back pocket, pushed the sleep/wake button, and entered his passcode. With half reluctance and half need, he tapped his photos icon and slowly scrolled toward the image that he'd found himself looking at more and more of late. He wondered why he hadn't deleted it as images went by. His eyes carefully searched row, after row, denying his anticipation was growing with each scroll down and… She appeared. Inhaling and exhaling once, he stared at the little picture. Raising his thumb, he let it hover over her, debating. Gently, he lowered it and touched her, and she filled his screen.

It was a black and white. He had taken the picture of a photo that he had gotten a hold of so that he would know exactly what younger Lucy Preston looked like when he finally met her for the first time. The first time happened quite a while ago. She wasn't smiling, but she was looking pleasantly into the camera. Judging from what she was wearing and the trees behind her, it could have been spring or summer. He always settled on spring because the camera had caught a couple of tendrils of her dark hair being blown gently across her soft face by what can only be a spring breeze. It had been some time since he last saw her. Beautiful eyes.

He clicked the button of his cell turning the screen off and closed his eyes with her lovely face still before his mind's eye. He must have fallen asleep because next thing he knew he was waking up attached to her.

The sun was clearly setting signaling that they had been walking for hours and that they were nowhere close to getting out of their situation at least for that night. Once the sun went behind the trees that was it. Darkness.

Lucy gently pulled on the cuff, "Hey, we're going to have to find somewhere to spend the night."

Turning to her he stopped and joked sinisterly, "Does the fair Lucy Preston trust me enough to spend the night with me?"

Yep, she thought, he was getting hit with delirium too.

"More like I'm tired, thirsty and hungry enough not to care." She said flatly as she took his hand. He looked down at it and her curiously. "It chafes my wrist less," was all the explanation she gave as she took the lead with Flynn trailing behind her.

Forty minutes later as night was creeping in, Lucy looked up and saw some type of wooden building off in a little clearing. "What's that over there?"

Through the trees where she was pointing he saw a structure. Upon closer inspection as they approached, they saw the building was an old barn. They moved around it and located the door. Flynn grabbed the side of it and it held fast. Pulling harder it started to give way. Lucy took the edge of it as well and they pulled until it gave enough for them to get in.

Lucy stepped through first with Flynn coming in next and he immediately looked around for some kind of weapon as Lucy looked around at the stalls and up at the hay loft wanting a place to sleep. No telling how old the place was or when it was last used.

"It's better than nothing. The loft?" She asked as Flynn pulled her over to a feed box in the corner and lifted the lid. It held a few old blankets. Dust flew off them as he handed some to Lucy who took them and tried to shake them out, but Flynn pulled her along to another feed box which held nothing. And the next, which had more of the same nothing.

He looked up, "The loft. We can sleep there." Lucy just nodded.

He shook the loft ladder to see if it was sturdy enough and it appeared to be. He took the blankets from her and threw them up into the space.

"Flynn?"

He looked down her. "What?"

"I... have to use the bathroom."

They both stood there looking at each other for a couple of beats.

"I probably should go too." He said.

"Omigosh, not together."

"I don't think that's avoidable."

Lucy couldn't meet his eyes.

Seeing her distressed he offered, "I'll go first."

She placed her hand on her face.

"Okay, you go first. Not a big deal."

"To you maybe."

"Due to the circumstances, we're going to have to do this eventually. Maybe a couple of times. Maybe even-."

"STOP! Okay, okay!"

"Okay." He led them out.

Outside he looked around, saw a tree with a little grass at the bottom off to the side and pointed.

"There."

The tree he chose was about five yards from the barn. Lucy stopped him again.

"Lucy-."

"Wait, wait...Can you go using one hand?"

"I wasn't planning on it." He dead panned. "It'll be quick, trust me."

At the tree, he stepped behind it making Lucy's arm extend out. The sound of his zipper being let down came to her ears. Squeezing her eyes shut, she started reciting the Preamble out loud.

"We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect Union-."

He shook his head and started.

"Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide the common defense-."

"I'm almost done."

"Please don't talk to me while you're making. Promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity-."

She actually heard him chuckle.

He zipped his zipper with her arm slackening as he stepped out from behind the tree.

"Your turn." He said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"You think this is funny?"

"I do."

Lucy just stood there.

"Look, it's not that hard." He reasoned.

"Easy for you to say." She still didn't move.

He leaned in, "If you don't go, I will take the pants off you myself." She gave him a dirty look as he stepped forward like he was about to make good on his threat.

"Alright, alright." She said holding him back. "Close your eyes."

"They're closed."

A couple of moments go by with him hearing nothing, "Lucy."

"Can you recite-."

"No." He said cutting her off.

Lucy steeled herself. She undid the metal button and unzipped the zipper. Both her hands were needed to pull down her pants.

Lucy cleared her throat. "Uh...can you bend down a little? So, I can…"

He bent down.

She let out a couple of breaths with Flynn waiting with his eyes shut. Going for it she pulled her pants down, squatted as best as she could without pulling Flynn's arm too far and went. She finished, quickly stood and yanked her jeans up in one quick motion as she zipped and buttoned them.

Now that was humiliating. Tinkling in the forest with Garcia Flynn was high up on the list of things she thought she'd never do. This was something getting deleted from her memory immediately.

They walked silently back to the barn which made Lucy grateful for Flynn not saying a word.

Lucy started up the ladder first with Flynn right behind her. It took some coordination, but they made it to the top.

"I really hate spiders." Lucy shivered at the thought of the arachnids.

"It's dark, you can't see them."

"That helps."

The loft floor was very dirty as they kneeled facing each other with their cuffed wrists extended in front of them. Together their free hands spread a blanket out over the flooring. They then laid down with Lucy lying on her left side facing Flynn who was lying on his back, their cuffed wrist between their bodies. Flynn pulled the other blanket over them with his free hand and both laid quietly listening to the night.

After some minutes, Lucy placed her head closer to him and whispered.

"We're going to get out of this."

The soft, positive and determined words tumbled in his mind as he played them over. How did she do it? Ran for their lives all day, now lying in an old dirty barn in the middle of God knows where, and on top of that, exhausted, thirsty, starving and chained to someone, whom she would deem, the last man on earth, and yet… Here she was. Still hopeful.

Probably stemmed from her stubborn streak because, no doubt, Lucy was one to always stand against the odds. He'd witnessed it a number of times when he had been the odds and as a result, the strength he saw in her began to change the way he perceived her. Each time he saw and spoke with Lucy on any of his missions made it harder and harder for him to go against her because she had gradually become someone he didn't want to disappoint. He found himself, more often than not, wanting her to not think of him as a monster, but to get why he did what he did.

 _You want her to understand you._

Soft, slowed breathing pulled him out of his anxious thoughts, signaling to him that she was fast asleep. Feeling her head resting against his shoulder, he caught the faint scent of some type of floral shampoo and angled closer to identify it. Roses... That was mingled in with her scent. Flynn closed his eyes and let her words circle around him one last time as a deep breath of her mixed with roses filled his lungs before he turned his head back to stare up into the darkness. Right there he vowed to do everything he could to get Lucy home.


	3. Chapter 3 - DAY TWO

Flynn's mind slammed into wakefulness as he blindly reached for his gun with his arm snagging on something, forcing him to pull harder when his efforts were met with a soft protesting moan. He immediately ceased the tug of war and turn his head to the soft dark brown hair that smelled like roses and...

Lucy.

A sigh escaped him as he laid his head back onto the blanket and rested his arm across his stomach. Still on the run with the saucy, yet hopeful, brunette shackled to his arm. Speaking of arm, he had inadvertently pulled Lucy's over with his, causing her to snuggle him. He could feel her warmth and softness as she breathed in and out against him. Eyes closing, he wondered what she would think if she were to wake up right at that moment and see who she was cuddling up to. He felt her body flinch as her hand that was splayed on his stomach moved and gradually started to clinch his shirt between her fingers. Gently placing his hand over hers he softly began to ease and rub out the tension. She moved her head against his shoulder and snuggled him more closely.

"Flynn?"

His eyes popped open. Lifting his head, he peered at her very close face nestling his upper arm, and saw she was still asleep. He began to wonder just how often he was in her dreams. And if they were bad ones...or not.

Wanting to stop the directions of his thoughts immediately, he decided it was time to wake her. He turned towards her propping up on his right elbow causing her hand to fall between them.

"Lucy."

She heard him call her name, floating through her unconscious mind.

"...Lucy!"

Her brow wrinkled.

"Lucy, wake up!"

Eyes still closed, her words came tightly through her teeth. "You are right in my ear."

"Because you need to wake up." Every word of his reply was enunciated.

He watched her eyes open, focus on him and then squeeze shut. Flynn's face was still peering down at her when she reopened them seconds later. Five o'clock on five o'clock shadow covered the lower half of his face which made him uncomfortably more handsome. Especially mixed with his sleepy green eyes and smushed dark hair. His dark eyebrows raise up at her in question.

Lucy's tongue felt like it didn't want to work. "Am I still cuffed to you?"

"Afraid so."

They both sat up in unison.

Stretching her back, she groused, "You have zero bedside manner." She held up her free hand forming the shape of an O.

"You want me to wake you up a different way?" He menaced at her in a low voice.

They locked stare for stare. Not knowing and half wondering what intention he would execute to back up a question like that, heat started low and crept up her neck and settled on her face forcing her to pull away first. To cover the sudden flare that was ablaze, she rolled her eyes and began to run her free hand through her hair, snagging her fingers on some unruly tangles. Flynn rubbed the itchy growth on his face. He got up from the floor and extended his hand out to her. Eyeing it and him, she finally took it and he smoothly pulled her to her feet.

Their bodies screamed with stiff soreness from the previous day's activities and sleeping on hardwood flooring.

"We need water." Stomach growling loudly, she added, "And food."

Flynn moved toward the ladder as Lucy looked back at the blankets. "Shouldn't we take them with us."

"I plan to be at home tonight. Let's get going." Impatience lacing his words.

"I'm taking these." Stubbornly she pulled him over, knelt and attempted to one handedly fold and roll them up. She looked up at him. "You know this could go quicker if you, um, helped."

His stomach growled as he kneeled to help. Lucy didn't miss his scowl as they folded the two blankets together and rolled them up in a tight roll with Flynn holding them as they went down the ladder.

Outside the sun was shining through the trees and there was a slight breeze rustling the leaves.

He looked down at her, "Do you need to go?" Inwardly she groaned because she so did not want to do this again. "Lucy!"

"Yes, damn it!"

Flynn's eyebrows went up as he tried not to laugh.

They both went again and for Lucy, it was not in any way, shape, or form easier.

"No Gettysburg Address or JFK's Inaugural today?" He asked as they turned towards the woods and started their trek.

"Leave me alone Flynn." She warned.

He chuckled, "You're quite the crabby patty in the morning."

"You started it with your, 'Lucy! Lucy wake up!'" Mimicking his accent perfectly. He chuckled even harder. She couldn't believe how this guy was just on one this morning! Just poking at her and ticking her off. And who knew he was such the chuckler? Driving her crazy.

He needed to stop. Hoping it would act like a cold shower to his heated ponderings, he had been trying to cover and dowse his previous thoughts of him being in her dreams by making her annoyed with him, but all it did was make her funny, feisty…and adorable. Which in turn made him…well…that backfired.

They headed deeper into the dreaded woods. He looked about, "Need to find a road."

"Water and food." Lucy replied not missing a beat.

They walked on for about ten minutes when they heard it.

It was a car! Flynn grabbed her hand and they started running toward the sound. The car was coming closer as they ran through the trees and climbed up an incline to the edge of a road. A road! Just as they crest the road, the truck drove by not seeing them, but Flynn was just able to get a glimpse of some of the guys inside. The two he saw had on camouflage and one of them had blond hair. Oddly enough, the truck turned right to where the dilapidated barn was.

"They went right to the barn." Lucy said as Flynn frowned.

Going closer, the sound of truck doors opening came to their perked ears. Flynn stopped. A huge surge of intense foreboding rose in his gut. Feeling it too, Lucy squeezed his hand. He pulled her behind him and that's when the shots rang out. A barrage of bullets rained over the whole of the two-story barn. Whoever they were, they were shooting it up gangster style.

Flynn and Lucy turned and fled back into the woods. They could still hear the hailing bullets hitting and splintering wood as they ran. Lucy didn't think she could do another day of running at full speed without drinking or eating. She hoped they wouldn't come after them and she hoped they didn't have dogs and she hope she could keep up with Flynn.

After several minutes of ducking, dodging and weaving through the trees, Lucy squeezed Flynn's hand hard and he slowed them down a little but kept moving on. He stuck as close as he dared to the road while keeping them in the cover of the trees with them going on at a hurried pace for some time. Flynn couldn't help but think this was about to all be over for them if they couldn't find water or food, but first things first. Getting them safely away from their pursuers.

Over two hours later, they came to a part of the woods that sloped down into a ravine. Flynn helped Lucy as they half walked half skidded past the trees, descending into it. Once at the bottom, they continued walking along the base of the ravine. Lucy looked back up to the hills summit thinking that it was pretty steep and glad they hadn't fallen while they were descending. Just as they made it around a wide bend at the base of the hill, both came to an abrupt stop.

There before them was an abandoned car.

Moving cautiously toward it, Lucy hesitated, "I hope there's no one dead in there." It was an old white Ford Escort with no plates. They peered in.

"No bodies." Flynn stated as he grabbed the door handle and pulled. The passenger door gave way with a groan as dust and dirt billowed off it.

"Clearly been here a while." Sticking his hand in, he flipped the handle for the seat to fold forward and there he saw it. Sitting on the floor of the back seat was a six pack of Pabst beer. He picked it up and handed them back to Lucy.

"Omigosh." Lucy said as she took them from Flynn.

A plastic shopping bag was also in there, he pulled it out and opened it. Inside was a big bag of Mother's Circus Animal Cookies, one pack of Twinkies and three packs of Moon Pies. He brought out the bag.

"Look." Was all he said.

Lucy looked inside, looked up at him, "I'm in if you are." He smiled his response.

Without another word, they plopped down by the car and dug in to their breakfast. Lucy popped a beer and took a drink grimacing. Flynn popped his and downed half of it before he came up for air. Lucy opened the Twinkies while Flynn opened the cookies. She bit into one of the two Twinkies and handed the other to Flynn who took two bites making it vanish. He placed about five of the sugary frosted rainbow sprinkle cookies in his mouth as Lucy dug her hand into the bag. She munched down three and then opened a Moon Pie.

"We should slow down." She said while chewing and taking a bite of the chocolate covered cookie and marshmallow treat. "Stomach aches."

"Don't care." Flynn said opening a Moon Pie and placing the whole thing in his mouth. He and Lucy finished their beer and burped simultaneously. And then grabbed another.

Maneuvering the food around in her full mouth, she observed, "Cookies aren't as stale as I thought they'd be, but the Moon Pies are." Opening the last Moon Pie, she took a bite and handed the rest to Flynn who shoved it into his mouth. Cookies fell into her lap as she opened up and placed two white and one pink in, chewing them as she retrieved the rogue ones from her lap, shoving them in her mouth as well.

Hand rustling in the bag, he grabbed more circus animals, "Almost anything tastes great when you're hungry or thirsty enough." He drank deeply from his can.

Upending hers, she drained it. "Beer doesn't."

"Not a beer drinker?" He asked polishing of a couple more cookies.

"Stuff's awful."

"Probably because you haven't had the right one."

Waving a cookie around and rolling her eyes, "And that is usually what all beer lovers say." Munching down on the cookie she continued, "Look, we can't even tell if this beer is rancid or not because all beer is rancid."

"I guarantee there's a beer out there that you would like." He downed the last drop of his and cracked open the third can. Opening hers, Lucy drank a fourth of it. Flynn dug in the bag and pulled out a whole pink camel shaped cookie and held it up. Drinking her beer, she eyed it and him.

"Last one." Ceremoniously he broke it in half, took her hand and pressed a piece in her palm. Catching her eye, he popped his half into his mouth. Lucy raised her piece to hers and slowly bit and chewed it. Holding up his beer, he waited for her. She lifted hers and he clanked it with his. Together they bottomed up finishing off their last beer.

Lucy put their trash back in the plastic bag and stuck it back on the floor of the car as Flynn looked up at the Escort, eating some of the crumbs off his shirt. "Let's check the trunk."

Lucy swayed into him as they got to their feet due to the beers hitting her in the dizzies. Around to the driver's side door they went to see if there was a trunk release.

Flynn tried the door to no avail. He jerked harder, but it wouldn't give. "Other side." Back around to the passenger door which was still open, Lucy flipped the seat back to its normal position and climbed in.

"Glove compartment." She said, releasing the catch of the little door. It fell open to her showing that it held nothing. Lucy frowned shaking her head, "Why not take your snacks with you too?" Shutting it, she leaned all the way in, Flynn's arm stretching with her as she stretched and... there was a barely audible dull click.

"Found it." Crawling back out she said, "I hope there's not a body in it."

They went around to the back and Flynn lifted the trunk.

Except for spider webs and an old pair of beat up white sneakers with no strings, it was empty. Yanking open the compartment that normally housed the spare tire, revealed that there was nothing in there either.

The trunk banged closed from his frustration as he let out an exasperated sighed. "Hoping we'd at least find something for these cuffs." He looked around the base of the ravine. "Let's go."

Lucy picked up the blankets. With one last look, they continued on.

If anything, the landscape seemed to have gotten even more woodsy if that were possible. Blisters were forming on Lucy's feet. She could feel them as they ached in protest. Eyeing up at the back of Flynn's head she observed, "It's almost like there's nowhere to go. It looks like America, and I could be wrong, but there's nothing. No gas stations, diners, farmhouses...this whole thing is like a Twilight Zone."

"Like a nightmare." Flynn said.

She continued, "The only people we meet are ones trying to kill us. Other than that, there's no one else on the planet. Like that episode where a couple wakes up in a nice little town, but there aren't any other people in it and everything is fake. They get on a train and they think they're finally getting somewhere only to find out that the train just goes in a circle."

"And then we find out they're on a different planet in some little girls play set."

Lucy gasped all surprised. "You've seen it?"

"I like the Twilight Zone."

She laughed to herself shaking her head, "You surprise me."

"Do I?"

"Never imagined you sitting and watching TV." She said quietly.

They walked on in silence for a minute before he replied, "I was a regular guy before all of this."

Lucy took his hand, "You still are."

He looked over his shoulder and gave her a warm little smile that touched her more than she wanted to admit. That was the third or fourth time she was seeing him smile that day. Apparently, it took being chased, shot at, hunger and thirst to get him to do something that was so rare. And hearing his words made her easily sway into telling him something he clearly thought he wasn't anymore. Not knowing if he was just opening up to her or if the stress of their situation was causing him to act differently, Lucy found it unnerving. Garcia Flynn was steadily becoming likable and…she didn't know what to do with that.

Hours passed, and it was just now afternoon with it looking like they were closer to nowhere. They had walked on in the seemingly endless woods, passing tree after tree after tree. All the sugar and beer Lucy consumed where having an argument right now.

"How's your stomach?" She asked.

"Trying not to think about it. Yours?"

"Unsuccessfully trying not to think about it."

The way they were walking became more and more rocky causing Lucy to grab Flynn's hand to keep from tripping.

"Why do you think these people are after us?"

He thought for a bit and replied, "It could be a number of reasons."

"...Such as?"

"There's something they want. Or something someone did to them."

"Did you do something?"

He didn't respond.

"You still think I did?"

Still nothing.

Calmly she tried a different approach. "OK. For the sake of argument, let's say it was something I did. What would you ask me?"

Looking back at her, he met her challenging gaze. Clearing his throat, he fired away.

"Who was the last person you were with?"

"You." She sassed.

He rolled his eyes. "Before me."

"Geoff."

"Who's Geoff?"

"Someone I met. We went out Friday."

"Where did you first meet him?"

"At the university."

"How?"

"We were introduced by a mutual colleague. He saw me at a luncheon that was held by the history department for a lecture he gave regarding the history of drugs and their effects on troops in American wars. We seem to have some things in common, so he asked me out on a date."

"So, you know nothing about him."

"I know enough."

"You think you do."

Did he know something? A frown formed on her face. "What does that mean?"

"Have you asked yourself why he's suddenly so interested in you? Or if he's connected to anything bad?"

"Are you saying men aren't normally interested in me? Unless they're bad?"

"You shouldn't assume that someone's interest in you is genuine. They could have ulterior motives."

"So…I should pull myself aside whenever someone wants to date me and say, 'Hey Luce, this guy obviously must be connected to something bad and therefore must have ulterior motives, so he can't be really interested in you?'"

"That's not what I'm saying."

She stopped short causing Flynn's arm to pull back in the cuff, bringing him to an abrupt stop. Turning back, he looked at her.

"Then what are you saying?"

Well, what he just said put that pained look on her face telling him his words had hurt and that certainly wasn't his intent. He had only meant to help her. To caution and warn, not insult or upset.

 _Is that all you meant?_

He looked at her upturned face, her lovely brown eyes filled with the want for him to explain, and the all too familiar ghostly hand of affection reached out and touched him.

You care deeply for her and want her safe.

Flynn's eyes shut at the thought. He didn't want to exactly say that to Lucy. What if she didn't receive it well or misunderstood or worse, pitied him? None of that sounded good and, truth be told, he didn't think he could take it if she were to respond in any of those ways. But...was there really any other way to tell her, explain to her his reasoning behind what he was saying?

He ran his hand through his hair and swallowed as he moved closer to her. Lucy searched his face as he took her cuffed hand in his warm one and gently squeezed it. "I don't think you realize how attractive you are... And that makes you more attractive. There are men who will seek you out and be drawn to you and want to take advantage of you and I…" Nervously swallowing again, his thumb moved over the back of her hand, feeling its softness as he looked down at how small it was in his. Squeezing it a fraction more, he brought his gaze back to hers. "You're a very special woman. And I just want you to be careful. And be safe."

Her eyes never left his face as the intensity of his sincere explanation made her heart both stop and swell. He was telling her he wanted her to be careful and safe and thought she was attractive and special. She thought she had been talking to Garcia, all bets are off, take no prisoners, shoot them all and sort them out later, Flynn. But hearing all that this man before her just said...woke up her butterflies. Their wings were running a race against her heart of who could beat the fastest. Unsure of what to name all this, she decided to go with confusion because she didn't want to come up with any other descriptions of what his words had just done to her. Yet, why in the world would he care about her and her safety?

She held up two fingers from her free hand. "Two things." Her middle finger folded down, leaving just her index extended. "One...tell me what you know."

Flynn had seen the question coming. At this point the only way to go was straight forward.

"Geoffrey Marsden may have connections to the mob." Lucy's mouth fell slightly open as Flynn continued, "He's been known to go after certain women to get information that he may need. You're being connected to Rittenhouse may have peaked his interest."

Shaking her head in disbelief, "How do you know this?"

"We should keep moving."

Flynn started walking with her in tow, as Lucy went on. "I just met this guy a couple of weeks ago...when did you start finding out things about him?"

"I heard about this guy before you met him. After you met him, I started researching to see who he really was and why he was interested in you. And I do believe that he's the reason we're in this whole thing right now."

Lucy's mind reeled. Geoff connected to the mob and had an interest in Rittenhouse? It all seem so random but from what Flynn said… She thought back to their date.

"Geoff asked a number of questions about family."

"What did he ask?"

"Things like if I thought family was important and if I would ever go against my family. And he said he believed in loyalty to relatives and said he was loyal to his." She stammered, "I…I just thought he should probably marry them and chalked it up to him just being a little off and had no intentions of going out with him again. But this?"

What the heck was going on? Was Rittenhouse going to ruin every aspect of her life? She already lost her sister and here she was trying to pick up the pieces of her life and move forward. Move on. Get a new life. Hopefully meet a great guy but only to come to this?! In the middle of God knows where, tethered to the number one-person Rittenhouse had pissed off. But why put them together?

"I'm beginning to see why he'd want me, but, how do you figure into all this?"

"I followed him to one of his hang outs. I think he already knew who I was and my connection to Rittenhouse."

"So, get us for Rittenhouse? That doesn't make sense. Rittenhouse no doubt knew where we were all along and hasn't bothered us. What could kidnapping us gain him? And, now he's flat out trying to kill us?"

"My same thoughts."

Lucy pulled back forcing him to stop.

"We really should keep moving-."

"Flynn wait." She gently cut him off. "You said after I met Geoff you started researching him to see why he was interested in me. Which brings me to number two. Why are you looking into anything or...anyone, regarding me?"

Flynn suddenly grabbed her arm causing her to drop the blankets. Thinking that he was going to say something earth shattering, Lucy stared wide eyed up at him, but he held up his hand, appearing to be...listening intently.

There is was again and Lucy heard it too.

The crunching of twigs and leaves from the slow, careful footsteps alerted their ears that someone was moving around out there and in their direction. Flynn's cuffed hand took hers as he quietly moved them over to a nearby large tree and turned them sideways, placing Lucy behind him. Flynn had to take a look to see what they were up against. Inhaling, he ever so slightly bent his body forward, got a quick glimpse and ducked back.

Great. It was the blond from the truck headed their way and he was armed with a rifle raised to firing position. Concluding that he must have heard them, Flynn immediately started calculating and weighing his options to disarm this guy, get him down and out, all with his free hand and without getting Lucy hurt.

She pressed in, staying as close to Flynn as possible, her free hand gripping his waist as they listened, holding their breaths for a quiet, ticking, excruciating minute.

Turning slightly, he flattened himself against the tree as his right hand slowly released Lucy's.

The guy was closer. More leaves crinkled under the weight of his footfalls.

Pulse racing, Flynn flexed his left hand.

Just as the barrel came into Flynn's view, all in one swift movement, he grabbed the rifle from the top, right in the middle, yanked it out of the man's hands and quickly slammed his elbow hard into the blond's face. The guy went down on his knees as Flynn flipped the rifle, caught it by the barrel, and swung it back handed, connecting with the guy's head and knocking him out.

Lucy let out the breath she was holding in relief just as a bullet hit the tree next to them. Flynn grabbed and spun her out of the way just as another bullet hit the trunk spraying them with splinters. They fell hard to the ground and rolled a bit causing Flynn to lose the rifle. Going up on all fours he stretched for the gun with his free hand as a bullet zinged his upper arm making him pull back. Lucy got to her feet first with Flynn right behind her and they started running.

Bullets hit the trees on the left, the right, the ground and went over their heads. Flynn zigged them to the left and they ran onwards down through the trees with the madness that was chasing them hard on their heels.

The nightmare was proving endless. How much more of this could they take? This had to be it because they couldn't keep going, having no weapons to defined themselves and little strength to keep up this relentless, unforgiving, grueling pace.

Pushing on through the trees, feeling the growing, burning sensation in their lungs and legs, they both saw some kind of huge clearing up ahead as they ran on. Taking in the view before them, it struck them at the same time that the nightmare had just added a new twist, viciously upping the ante.

"Oh no!" Lucy said as Flynn swore.

Before them was no clearing, but a huge cliff drop.

There was a big gap between the cliff they were on and the one across on the other side.

Flynn kept moving them forward all the way to the edge. Looking over the side, they peered down...way down.

There was water at the bottom. Stepping back, they looked up and down the cliff trying to figure a quick way around but there wasn't. There was just no feasible way at all and they'd run out of time.

"We have to jump." Flynn said with finality.

"What?! Are you crazy?! That must be like 40 or 50 feet!"

Determined, he turned back pulling Lucy with him. "We need to take a running leap."

Lucy's heart dropped into her stomach as Flynn quickly dragged her back for adequate running distance.

In a panic, she shook her head, trying to convince him, her words tumbling over each other. "Flynn, I can't do that, I can't do that-."

"Hit the water feet first!" He said over her.

"We don't even know how deep it is! We'll be killed!"

He stopped and turned them around. Lucy was sure she was hyperventilating.

"Flynn!"

He took her cuffed hand firmly in his and squeezed it. "Look at me!" Breathing heavily, her eyes went to his and the fear he saw in them cut to his heart making him want to do anything possible to alleviate it. Right now, they needed to focus and be as one. "Do you trust me?" Looking into his earnest green eyes, they simultaneously implored her to trust him and told her that she could. But did she?

Gripping his hand hard, she inhaled and reluctantly nodded, as a bullet whizzed by.

They took off running.

It was the fastest Lucy had ever run and it was seemingly to her death. The trees zipped by and became fewer and fewer in number as they charged ahead full tilt. The dirt under their pounding feet gradually turned to rock as they raced on to the brink which was coming up all too quickly. Another bullet flew by them as they cleared past the last of the trees, with the edge of the cliff rushing up to meet them and

they jumped.


	4. Chapter 4 - DAY TWO

The sickening feel of weight less free falling lasted a lot longer than Lucy expected. She had closed her eyes and right when she began to wonder if they'd ever hit, her feet slammed into the cold water that engulfed them instantly in silent darkness. She felt her cuffed arm jerk hard which caused her to take in water. Frantically she tried getting to air with her free arm when a strong one went around her waist and pulled her up. Her head broke the surface and she sputtered and coughed. Flynn held her in front of him as he swam backwards with his free hand.

They slowly moved through the chilly dark water to the other side where there was a little beach with the cover of overhanging trees. Their feet finally touched the bottom. Flynn stood first helping Lucy up. Sloshing up to the shore, drenched and winded, they dropped to their knees on the beach, coughing to clear their lungs. Flynn sat down on the ground as Lucy stayed on all fours, taking deep breaths. He noticed that she had gone quiet and looked over at her. "Are you alright?"

Without a word, she went up on her knees and threw her free arm around his neck hugging him tight, holding on. His arm automatically went around her back and pulled her sideways into his lap, smashing their right arms in between them. Shutting her eyes, she squeezed tighter and he felt her body start to shake against his.

He held her closer. "It's okay. We did it. We're still here. I got you Lucy... I got you." Flynn's deep comforting voice made her silent tears start to flow and seep into his wet shirt. Shaky breaths filled her lungs as he held her to him. They stayed there in each other's arms, settling down as they breathed in and out. Sniffing, she loosened her hold on him, pulling back and wiped her nose on her soaked sleeve.

"I'm sorry." She snuffled not meeting his eyes.

He gently kissed her forehead and her eyes went shyly to his warm ones. "Come on." He coaxed. She slid off his lap as he got to his feet and helped her up.

Some hours later the sun had gone behind the trees making the woods dim. Still damp in some places in their clothes, they had to find a spot for another night in the woods fast or be stuck out in the wide open overnight. Just as they began to give up hope, they came upon a big round concrete storm drain. Carefully they slid down an incline to the mouth of it and hesitantly walked in looking about. Thank God it was roomy enough for them both, Flynn could easily stand up all the way in there. It was blessedly dry inside and appeared to not be occupied by any animals.

Flynn sat down first with Lucy following, accidentally bumping into his left arm on the way down causing him to breath in sharply. She looked at him.

"Are you hurt?" She asked.

"It's nothing."

Not believing him, she looked him over in the fading light and saw the wound on his upper left arm. "Ugh," she softly exclaimed, going up onto her knees to get a better look at it. She gently touched his arm and heard him take in another sharp breath as she prodded. It looked like the bullet grazed him good.

"They're some bad shots." Was his poor attempt at a joke.

Frowning she asked, "When did this happen?"

"Back at the tree."

"What?" Her eyes shot to his.

Such concern in those beautiful eyes. For him?

He felt her fingers back on his upper arm as she gingerly rolled his short sleeve up his bicep, out of the way of the wound.

"We have nothing for bandages." She said looking at him.

"It will heal."

"Wait!" She sat back on her heels and started unbuttoning her cardigan.

Flynn watched as she took her left arm out of the sleeve and then proceeded to remove her t-shirt. She got her left arm out of that, and awkwardly pulled the tee over her head. Her dark hair loosely cascaded down as it slowly freed from the confines of the t-shirt collar. Thoughts of the rose scented shampoo floated through his mind as his eyes traveled down her pale neck and shoulders to the nude color satin bra that had a feminine floral pattern and a little dainty bow in the center.

"I probably should have told you to close your eyes first."

"I probably wouldn't have listened."

She arched an eyebrow at him as she held up the hem of her t-shirt. "Here's the seam, pull."

Taking a part of the tee in his right hand, she pulled with her left as he held it tight. With some tugging it finally gave way and slowly began ripping up the side. After a few more times they got a groove and was able to completely get the shirt off her. Immediately she put her arm back into her cardigan, buttoning it all the way up, and grateful that it was a round neck and not a V-neck.

She got to work on his arm. "I took a mandatory first aid course when I started working for the university. Hopefully I can do you some kind of justice."

"You already have."

She looked at him and could just barely make out his eyes in the dimming light. He looked right back at her and they held each other's gaze as a chill went through her that had nothing to do with being damp and cold. She broke contact and focused on securing the makeshift bandage, tying it as tight as she dared without hurting him more than necessary. Topping off her work with a nice knot, she sat back.

"Well...how's that?" She asked a little proud of herself.

He touched it with his right hand.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

Rising to her feet, she stepped over him to his right side, lowered herself and scooted into him. Pulling his right arm around her middle, and placing hers on top of his, she leaned her head back on his shoulder with Flynn all the while being very intent on her every movement.

"I'm cold and I'm betting you are too."

He responded by pulling his arm tighter around her. "Hey? Nature never called today?"

She was silent for a bit before she answered. "I have a confession. I went in the water."

"...Me too."

There were two beats of silence and they both burst out laughing.

"Oh my gosh, we're filthy animals!" She exclaimed. "Three days ago, if you would have said I'd be peeing in the forest and jumping off of cliffs, I'd have said you were crazy!" Both laughed even harder as she went on. "Even though I was running for my life I, Lucy Preston, had the presence of mind to think 'Well, if I go in the water, I'll come out clean...ish." That sent them both into a silent-can't-breathe kind of laughter that made their sides hurt. "We're sad! Two days in the woods and we've lost all sense of decorum and reasoning!" Lucy squeezed out between breaths, wiping her eyes.

Flynn wiped his eyes. "You are so funny."

"I'm here all week!" She said to him starting them up again, laughing until they were just too tired to do it anymore.

With a sense of calm finally settling over them after their hysterics, they started breathing slower and feeling the weight of tiredness. It was now completely dark which turned Lucy's thoughts dark. It was becoming quite possible that they might not make it out of this. They didn't know where they were and had no way of getting out unless they walked. And how much more of that could they do without clean water and food? And the guys after them. They had found them and who knew how long before they caught up to them again. They'd been lucky so far, but luck never held up for long. They were exhausted, thirsty, hungry and bound together which ultimately added them to the probably not going to make it out alive category. Despair was closing in. She squeezed his arm that was wrapped around her.

"I'm scared Flynn."

He had just been thinking about the probabilities of them getting out of this and apparently, she had too. They had to keep going or die trying. Before, when his two loves were taken from him, he would have gladly taken the death option. Not even fought it. But now? There had been something else added to the mix. Something...someone who unexpectedly had become more to him than he ever thought possible. He wanted her to make it and, he found he wanted to make it too.

Pulling her closer, he laid his head on top of hers. "You know which one of the Twilight Zones is my favorite?"

He felt her head moved back and forth as she gave a soft, "No."

"The one with Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery."

"Two."

"That's the one. They were fighting in opposing armies. An apocalyptic battle happens, and it seems like they're the last one's on earth. Even though they have preconceived notions about each other, they ultimately put their differences aside and decide to go on and make it together."

"There you go." She whispered. "Surprising me again."

"Hmm?" She felt him ask.

"Maybe Nightmare at 20,000 Feet or To Serve Man. But that one? That one's ...a love story."

"…Love stories are the best."

They fell silent. Flynn's response went through her mind. Ironically, that Twilight Zone episode happened to be one of her favorites. She couldn't help but see the similarities of it and their situation and gathered that's why he brought it up. On the side of being reassured and encouraged due to their current harrowing situation, it went a long way and she was touched by him saying that.

But, on the other side, it felt like what he said could be taken another way. If they made it out of this, could they put their differences aside and go on? Together? She couldn't help but wonder if he meant it that way too. Sitting in close proximity to him, with his arm around her and feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, put thoughts in her head. Thoughts that would have normally appalled her, but now seemed to be not so unappealing. Could they? She with Flynn? The butterflies began fluttering about in response to the possibilities. What he said earlier, his sincere concern for her wellbeing prompted her to ask him a question of which he never gave an explanation because they got interrupted by the goons shooting and chasing them and jumping off of cliffs. But now she really wanted an answer.

"Why were you looking into anything or anyone, regarding me?"

He didn't answer for quite a while, to the point that she thought he'd fallen asleep. But he suddenly breathed in deeply and responded, "I know you don't have anyone to do that for you. And it's something I can do."

More butterflies joined the others already fluttering inside her.

Her mom wasn't the mom she thought she was. Her beloved sister, confidant and best friend was gone. She didn't hang out much with Wyatt and Rufus and while she tried with Noah, it just didn't work. He knew she didn't have anyone because she and Flynn shared something in common. They both were living in the world, alone and lonely. And here he was taking it upon himself to watch over her. Her heart caught on the thought.

But wait...that didn't negate the fact that this completely contradicted their past history together. She sat up and took his arm from around her. "That makes no sense that you want to do that, when all you've ever done was cause me to be placed in danger."

"You're right."

Lucy blinked. She didn't expect that response.

Flynn went on, "You noticed that you haven't seen the inside of the Lifeboat for some months now? Or me?"

Yes, of course she noticed and had even been wondering and hoping that he was OK.

When she didn't respond, he kept going. "Someone once told me that I had a choice. So, I asked myself what would happen if I chose to go a different way. What. Would. Actually. Happen? I knew I was exhausted and wanted to stop. Which made me feel guilty. I swore I'd move heaven and earth to get my family back or die trying and here I was, thinking about stopping. I hated myself for still being alive and not man enough to take my own life. I know Lorena wouldn't have wanted this at all. I could see what I had become, and I didn't care. But there was this stubborn, aggravating, frustrating woman who kept me from doing a horrible thing. She said I had a choice. Like there was still hope. Even after all she'd seen and what he had done to her… Before I knew it, a week had gone by. Then two..."

Many times, she had thought about the anguish that drove Flynn. His wife and daughter being killed was enough to drive many men into deep grief and become something liken to a mad man bent on doing anything to get them back. But she had seen tidbits in him of someone that still had a conscious and a heart which had led her to say those words to him that day. That he heeded them was amazing. That he had stopped his missions as well was a whole other feat in itself.

Spilling to Lucy all of that had not been Flynn's plan at all. In his earnestness for her to understand why he cared for her wellbeing, more came out than he wanted. Now she was sitting there silent which couldn't be good.

This thing, this mood that was now sitting heavily between them was new...and unfamiliar and oh so uncomfortable. Try as she might to stifle it, the blasted butterflies along with the confusing and equally conflicting feelings that churned inside her with Flynn's name emblazoned on them persisted. He had stopped his missions and had told her he had been looking out for her because she had no one else. She was truly at a loss for words at the revelation of all this. A complete loss.

 _Just be honest._

"I don't know what to say."

The words landed softly on his ears. Air released out of his lungs from a breath he didn't know he had been holding. In the total darkness, he reached out his cuffed hand and found hers. Unwilling to fight it and freezing, she gave in as he gently pulled her back to him. She slipped into his open arm and he enclosed it about her as she laid her head back on his chest, both squeezing in, relishing each other's warmth.

He laid his head back on top of hers. And they eventually fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5 - DAY THREE

Lucy's waking world was slowly gaining access to her sleepy brain. She blinked open her eyes. It was dim in the storm drain, but she could see that she had a sideways view of long, denim clad legs stretched out in front of her. Somehow, she had laid down with her head in Flynn's lap. Her left arm was folded under her head while her right was curled up to her chest. Flynn's arm was curled around hers, their fingers entwined. She could hear his breathing and knew he was still asleep.

If she woke him up, that meant they would have to get out and start trying to hopelessly find their way out of these dreaded woods. But they couldn't get far without clean water. Period. The futility of it all began to consume her. Just staying where they were seemed like the best option since it seemed that there was no way out of this.

Without realizing, Lucy had inadvertently started squeezing Flynn's hand that was interlaced with hers and he jolted awake. Shifting her weight, she turned her body over to look up at him. The green eyes looking back at her were tired. Her gaze traced the disheveled black hair on top of his head down to the beard that had thickened yet again on his face.

When Lucy had turned over, some of her hair had fallen back over Flynn's left hand. Gently, he wound the silky tendrils between his fingers without her knowing. Her face held immense fatigue and there were dark circles under her eyes. Then he saw it. A tear escaped and disappeared into her dark hairline. His hand acted on its own as it moved over and wiped the tear streak path with his thumb. A wobbly breath filled her lungs as she closed her eyes.

"Geez. I'm sorry, I'll stop." But more tears squeezed out of her tightly closed eyes.

Her tears did something to his heart. Lucy was crying and all he wanted to do was take away her fears and reassure her that he was there for her. That he was going to protect her and get her home. No matter what.

He brushed her tears away and smoothed her hair. Leaning in, he gently pressed a lingering kiss on her forehead and whispered, "We're getting out of this. I promise."

She nodded her head.

"Rest for a little longer." Flynn said smoothing her hair and caressing his thumb over her cheek.

Flynn shot awake at the sudden gush of water he felt on his legs. He sat up and pulled Lucy up causing her to wake with a start. The storm drain was doing its job and about to wash them out if they didn't hurry.

"It's flooding!" Flynn told her as she sat up and tried to comprehend what was going on and saw that she was sitting in running water and heard the thunderous rain pouring outside. Flynn stood and flinched from the pain in his arm as he pulled Lucy up. Holding hands, they tread through the chilly slug and debris washing through to the opening and stepped outside.

They couldn't risk prolonged exposure to the cold chill of rain, so they had to find some other shelter fast. Thunder boomed drawing their attention to the heavy, ominous dark clouds above. It was hard to even tell the time of day. A lightning bolt cut across the sky, fracturing into streaking veins as sheets of rain came down with no intention of letting up. Deafening thunder rumbled the ground as they moved away from the drain. Flynn and Lucy felt the shocking cold instantly from the relentless rain. It drenched them as they went up the side of the incline away from the dangerous, growing river of water from the drain.

Winding their way quickly up through the trees, they barely were able to hold onto each other's slippery hands. Both were feeling the futility of being able to find somewhere to take shelter when it all got worse.

It was like someone flipped a switch. Zero to sixty. Rain started pelting down to the point of it being hard to see, but they couldn't stop. Their only option was to keep going. The ground was soaked through turning the woods into a mucky, mire of quicksand. Climbing up the side of a small hill, they hurried on and upward to the summit. Cresting the top, they crossed through a thin patch of woods to the other side and found that they were standing near the edge of a ravine.

Trying hard to see through the rain, Flynn and Lucy looked around for any place that they could wait it out, when a large piece of the ravine's saturated edge suddenly gave way under their feet.

Before either of them knew what was happening, both went tumbling hard down the steep side, rolling over each other, viciously slamming into the rocky, muddy terrain before coming to a brutally jarring stop at the very bottom.

Lucy landed face down. Ears ringing, she raised her head, gasped and struggled to get air in her winded lungs. Upon opening her eyes, she saw stars and blinked them away as she willed herself to focus and breath. She tried to get up and immediately cried out at the sharp pain that shot through her ankle. Slowly sitting up, gritting her teeth, she looked over at Flynn.

He laid there face up with his head turned away from her. Lucy scooted closer to him.

Gently turning his head with her free hand to check him out, she saw the big rock under it and froze. Willing herself forward, she carefully moved his head off the rock and saw the deep red pooling blood which quickly washed away in the rain.

"Oh God, no no no no."

Laying two fingers on his neck, she checked his pulse...and closed her eyes in relief feeling his steady beat. But her relief was instantly replaced with the realization of the peril they were now even more deeply in. If they stayed on the woods floor with the torrential rain, they would surely catch their death.

She had to wake him up.

"Flynn!"

No response. Her hand patted the side of his face.

"Flynn!"

Nothing.

"Flynn come on! ...Wake up come on, wake up!" Patting harder shouting at him through the rain. He just laid there like he was sleeping.

Nauseating dread filled her.

There was no way she could move him. Even if she tried, her ankle was useless. Overwhelmed, she stared out at the woods devastated by the enormous nothing she could do. Lucy moved over to sit above him and carefully lifted his head. Sliding her legs under, she rested it in her lap, cradling it. She sat hunched over him to shield him from the rain and did the one thing left that she could do.

"HELP!...HELP!...SOMEBODY PLEASE!"

She looked around earnestly for someone, anyone, knowing that no one was coming.

"HELP SOMEBODY!...HELP US, PLEASE!...WE NEED HELP!...PLEASE!"

Her teeth were chattering, and her body shook as the cold and sobs rose in her chest.

"Somebody, please!" Her voice cracked as the sadness took over.

No one was coming.

Cupping Flynn's face with her cuffed hand, she looked down at him. Her free hand brushed his soaked hair back. There was nothing she could do.

"I'm so sorry."

She leaned in and held a kiss to his lips. Laying her forehead against his, she squeezed her eyes shut in defeat.

"Oh God, help." She prayed as she began to rock back and forth over Flynn. The tears that fell on his face mixed with the rain.

Lucy heard something muffled in the distance. Straining, she listened harder. It was barking. Did she really hear that? She looked up at the woods in front of her seeing nothing. Then a movement caught her eyes. A golden retriever bounded over. Barking, he started going back and forth near her and Flynn. The dog stopped, looking back into the woods. Lucy followed his gaze. Through the shower, she was just barely able to make out a tall man wearing a brown wide brim hat and black parka. Immense relief rose in her as the man hurried to them. Stopping and kneeling beside them he saw the cuffs and looked at her.

A gruff looking older man with a white beard and kind eyes. She hoped that he was truly kind.

"Please help us." She pleaded.

Lucy saw him hesitate, but he nodded. Standing, he held his hand out to Lucy. Shaking her head, she pointed at her injury.

"My ankle." He kneeled back down and looked at it. Rising again, he went back into the woods, returning a minute later with a large stick. Taking it in her hand, he helped her up and steadied her. Leaning heavily on the staff Lucy stood there shivering with her cuffed hand extended down to Flynn's. Kneeling above his head, the man proceeded to pick Flynn up in a Fireman's carry. Once he had him settled over his shoulders, he turned and started walking back the way he came, mindful of Lucy's struggle with her injury.

They walked through the cold downpour for about twenty minutes which probably would have been ten if it weren't for Lucy's ankle. Looking through the thick trees and rain, she could just make out a structure. Approaching closer, she saw it was a moderately sized log cabin that sat in a small clearing among the trees. It had a front porch that ran the length of the cabin. Water ran off the solar panels on the top of the tin, pitched roof.

They got up the steps to the covered porch. The man opened the screen door and Lucy held it as he preceded through the front door. Once inside, he took them back to a small bedroom. Grabbing a thick quilt from the foot of the bed, he held it out to Lucy.

"Let's get this over the bed."

Between the two of them, they got it moderately squared off and he carefully laid Flynn down on it. The man left the room and seconds later a door closed in the distance.

Shivering and dripping on the hardwood floor, Lucy leaned over and laid her hand on Flynn's chest as she looked down at his still unconscious form. She ran her hand over his forehead brushing his hair back looking at the scrapes and cuts on his face.

Lucy heard the man outside rummaging around. He re-entered the cabin and came back down the hallway to the room. In his hand he was carrying something she was very relieved to see. Bolt cutters. He went directly to the link attaching the cuffs together and severed them.

"You can go in and wash up. Come this way." She followed him out a short distance to the bathroom. "Hold on, I'll get something for you to put on."

He pulled open the hallway closet, a took out a plastic container from the top shelf. Inside were various sweats. He took out a brown pullover hoodie with matching drawstring pants, and a pair of black socks. Placing the items and a towel into a plastic laundry basket, he sat the items inside the bathroom for her.

"There's plenty of hot water. You can place your muddy things in here." He pointed at the laundry basket he'd just set down.

Lucy looked back at the room, concerned for Flynn.

"I'll get him cleaned up for you."

"Thank you, I really appreciate this."

He nodded at Lucy's sincerity, "No trouble."

She stepped into the small bathroom and closed the door.

Lucy braced her hand against the tiled wall and stood motionless under the shower water letting it run from the top of her head down over her chilled, weary body. She felt like she could nearly pass out from the euphoric sensation of it. To be able to get the cold and grime that was clinging to her body, she had set the temperature to just below lava. Steam rose up all around, surrounding her in a swirl of comfortable warmth and humidity. Despite her throbbing ankle, she started feeling better. But her thoughts quickly went to Flynn. He wasn't OK. She wanted...needed him to wake up. They weren't exactly out of danger. They still didn't know why they were taken and being chased in the first place. So far, the man that took them in seemed nice and hospitable, but she still didn't know anything about him.

The smell of food brought her around reminding her how insanely hungry she was. Carefully she got out of the shower and dried herself. She slipped into the baggy brown sweats and wrapped the towel around her head. Taking a hand towel from the rack, she wiped the moisture of the mirror and stopped short at what she saw. When she'd gotten in there, she purposely avoided the mirror knowing that she looked worse than a drowned rat. Now seeing herself, she was alarmed by the site of a deep bruise on her cheekbone underneath her left eye. There were also scrapes and scratches, but the bruise took the cake. She told herself it would heal and placed her wet dirty clothes in the laundry basket and opened the door. Out in the hallway she saw a blessed pair of crutches leaning against the wall and she hopped over to them. Gratefully, she took them and made her way back to the bedroom.

She maneuvered over to Flynn, glad to see that he had been completely cleaned, clothed and under the covers with a bandage around his head. He seemed to be breathing alright, so she drew some comfort from that.

Footsteps came down the hall.

"There's food on the table." He said as he stood in the bedrooms doorway.

Nodding, she gave Flynn another worried look and followed the man into the kitchen.

A big pot of venison stew, bread, water and hot tea were on the table. He ladled some into a big bowl as she drank all the water in her glass. Lucy didn't hold back. He didn't sit with her but went to the other end of the kitchen and slid open a pocket door revealing a stackable washer and dryer. Dropping their clothes and sneakers in with detergent, he turned it on. Back in the kitchen, he pulled out a chair and sat at the table with her. Lucy drank some more water and looked over at the man.

"Where's the nearest hospital?"

"With a car, it would be about three hours."

"You don't have a car?"

"I'm sorry, no."

"Where's the nearest sheriff station?"

"About a hundred miles from here."

"Phone? Internet?"

He shook his head.

Placing her head in her hands, she leaned forward onto the table. "He's been out for so long."

"I suspect dehydration, lack of food and exhaustion is the reason he hasn't come around sooner."

Lucy's face fell, and he wanted to relieve some of her fears.

"I was in the service. I've seen lots of injuries like this and most times, they come around."

"Most times?"

He nodded reassuringly and added. "And you're welcome here, so don't let that bother you. You have nothing to worry about from me...or Bizmo." The dog barked in response. He sat back and vigorously rubbed the loyal dog's head with both hands. "You know, it was actually him that told me about you two."

Lucy wiped her eyes, "Really?"

"Did you call out?"

Lucy nodded.

"Ah, good thing you did. We were walking around out there when we got caught in the downpour. He started barking and going back and forth and moving towards the woods. I said, 'What's up Biz?' He just went farther away from me, so I followed him and that's how we found you."

A catch in her chest gripped her as she replied, "We were up on the ravine's ridge when a part of it gave way. We fell to the bottom and he landed on a rock…and I couldn't get him to wake up." The terrifying incident replayed in her head sending shivers of apprehension through her.

He had to wake up.

Seeing the fear wash anew in her face, he cajoled, "This guy's strong, so don't you worry. We'll check him out in the morning."

Lucy smiled faintly, reaching out and petting Bizmo who ate up the attention greedily. "Sounds like we owe Bizmo a thank you." Lucy sat back and nearly split her head open with the biggest yawn.

Seeing that, he rose, went over and swung a pantry cabinet open, taking out a first aid lock box where he removed a bandage for wrapping sprains. He moved to a utility box sitting on a chair by the back door and took out a thin metal tool.

Giving him a weak smile as he kneeled taking her foot carefully in his hand. Lucy grimaced as he wrapped her ankle tight. "I'm sorry, I don't even know your name."

He replied without looking up from his task, "Henry. Yours?"

"...He's Jack, I'm Jill."

He laughed loud. "I get it."

"We're not criminals." She added, spreading her hands with the telltale cuff bracelet still attached to her.

He shook his head. "We'll all talk later." He nodded to the cuff, "I'll get that off you and you can get some rest."

"Thank you."

He nodded, "Welcome."

Lucy entered the small bedroom and closed the door behind her. The pull cord on the little lamp on the nightstand was a little testy, but it eventually gave, casting a warm low light over the quaint room and Flynn. She suspected Henry believed they were a couple and hadn't given her the option to sleep on the couch. But that was fine because she wanted to be near Flynn in case he woke up in the night. He hadn't moved at all. But he was still breathing alright which gave her some relief.

The bed was queen size but due to the smallness of the room, it was pushed up against the wall so, Lucy could only get in it by either climbing over Flynn or crawling in from the foot of the bed. Opting for the latter, she crawled in and carefully slid her injured ankle in under the covers and got situated. It was throbbing like mad, but Henry had given her a good dose of Ibuprofen. Pulling the end of the covers up, she placed a large pillow at the foot of the bed and rested her foot on top of it. Now she just needed the meds to kick in. She carefully rolled onto her side and clutched the pillow.

Her weary mind whirled with anxiety as her body ached from all the mania it had been put through. How long were they safe here? Would those guys find them? Were they now putting Henry in jeopardy? When will Flynn wake up? Or would he? They had no idea of how bad his injury was, and her eyes stung at the thought. She gripped her pillow harder, the end scene of the Twilight Zone episode came to her mind. The two characters walking off into the uncertainty of the unknown but agreeing to go into it together. Somewhere inside, a small grain of hope sparked to life. They could do it. Despite their current situation, she believed they could go forward and make it together. Yet none of that could happen if he didn't wake up.

She inched over close to him. His head was turned towards her as she felt his warmth.

"Flynn?" She whispered. "Flynn can you hear me? ...It's Lucy."

A slow, lumbering tear fell from her lashes. She gently laid her hand on his cheek as a huge influx of feelings for this man came over her, seizing her heart.

"It's me Garcia." She tearfully looked over his face. His dark hair lying against his forehead. The eyelashes resting closed. The thick growth of dark facial hair. His lips.

"I want to start over and start something new... With you." Her voice quivered as she gently moved her thumb over his bottom lip. "But you got to wake up. I want you to. ...I need you. OK?"

Her eyes drifted closed as she whispered, "Please wake up...for me."


	6. Chapter 6 - DAY FOUR

Flynn's eyes fluttered open. He focused them and looked around the softly lit... bedroom? It was small and made out of logs. The dim light was coming from a little lamp with a shade on a night stand next to him. One window with rain pouring down it's pane was lined with white curtains. He was in a bed lying under a quilt that had various shades and patterns of blue and green patchwork.

Was he dead?

Pulling his right hand out to rub his face, he caught a glimpse of the nasty bruising around his wrist.

No cuffs…

Lucy!

He went to sit up and immediately regretted it, laying his deep pounding head back on the pillow.

Lucy! Where was Lucy?!

He turned his head to the other side, wincing at the maddening pain the movement caused and saw her sleeping face right next to his. As he looked at her, he relaxed with relief breathing out. He hadn't realized the warmth he was feeling was from her. She was sleeping on her side with a pillow tucked under her head, her hair was hiding most of her face. He listened to her breathing. The hair over her face reminded him of the picture he had in his cell. Yet the real thing was right here. Warmth from her body spread into his giving him ideas about waking her with deep kisses and taking her soft body in his arms and…

Not a good time, Flynn. Not. a good. time.

He closed his eyes due to the intense, dull thrumming in his head. Convinced he was dreaming, he tried to clear his mind of intimate thoughts of Lucy and ultimately fell back asleep.

Flynn heard soft rain tapping on the tin roof. Slowly inhaling deeply, he opened his eyes and saw he was still in that small, logged bedroom. He turned to Lucy.

No Lucy.

The bed was void of her as he moved his still sore and stiff injured arm over her side of the bed. It was still slightly warm. Outside it was light, with the rain slowing to a drizzle. He had to find out where in the world he was.

And find Lucy.

Carefully, he raised his lead filled throbbing head off the pillow and slowly swung his legs out of the bed. He saw that he was clothed in a black undershirt, dark gray sweatpants and black thermal socks. The wound on his left arm had a proper, clean bandage. He raised his hand to touch his head, wincing as he felt the bandaged covering the tender spot under it. There was a glass of water sitting next to a plastic pitcher on the nightstand. He took it, drained it and immediately started coughing. It felt like his head was going to explode with each hack and did his best to stop at once.

Lucy came through the door, stopped dead and stared at the man sitting there.

Flynn was up.

"Lucy." He was so glad to see her, but his face automatically went into a frown. He looked her over. On one crutch, she was wearing a pink robe with big pockets over brown sweats and a black eye. "What happened to you?"

She moved over to the bed, leaning her crutch against the wall. Sitting next to him, she surprised him by wrapping her arms around his middle in a big warm hug. His went around her too as he relished her in his arms. Squeezing him tight, she pulled back. Still in his arms, she looked up at him. He seemed almost…innocent in the look he had on his face which warmed her heart. She kissed him on the cheek.

He searched her face. "What was that for?"

"You woke up."

His eyebrows went up. "You missed me?"

She pulled completely out of his embrace and took his hand in hers squeezing it. He squeezed hers back warmly.

"First thing. You've got to eat something."

Now that sounded like something he could do. She took the crutch and rose from the bed leaving the room. She returned holding a tray of food with one hand.

"Let me-." He said, starting to rise up.

"No. Bed."

Hearing her tone, he decided to oblige her...for now. He slid back under the covers as she placed the tray on his lap.

On a tin pan were eggs, home fries, a slice of ham and toast.

His mouth watered.

"Thank you." He barely got out as he started shoving the food in.

"You're welcome." Smiling as she went back out and returned with a cup of coffee that she placed on the little night stand. Lifting the plastic pitcher, she poured more water into his glass.

Flynn had forgotten what food tasted like. This had to be the best thing he ever eaten on earth. Popping in the last piece of ham, Lucy went and got him a second serving. The water was so refreshing as he drained a second glass while he waited for her and the food. She returned and the whole scene played over a second time. Again, she refilled his glass.

"Did you make this?" He forked in some home fries.

"I put it on the plate." She smiled at him. And he couldn't help returning it. She got up to leave the room again.

"Wait." His warm hand closed around hers, pulling her back.

"Don't you want more?"

Without letting go of her, he shoved the rest of the ham in his mouth and set the tray aside.

"Sit." He gently pulled her down as she tugged the robe tighter around her and perched on the edge of the bed.

The tiredness in her pretty face wasn't missed by him, but she looked so lovely despite the black eye. The beauty in her eyes as she watched him stirred him in places he hadn't allowed to be stirred in a long time. Glancing down, his eye caught the identical bruising on her right wrist as he took it in his hand. Turning the inside of it upward, he lightly traced his finger back and forth, crisscrossing over her wound, sending a shock of chills right through her. Lucy made a true effort to keep cool and continue breathing normally. Pulling her sleeve down over her wound but still holding her hand, he gently raised his other and touched her cheek, looking closely at her black eye and whispered. "Are you alright?"

Breathing out she nodded her head. "I am. Now."

"What happened?"

"Part of an incline gave way and we sort of fell down a ravine." His brow furrowed as she continued. "I got a twisted ankle and you landed on a rock." The thought of the helplessness she felt made her stop and take a breath. "I tried to wake you but couldn't." She shook her head slowly, "I thought...you were gone." The enormity of the traumatic situation was hitting her like a ton of bricks. Flynn could have died. She could have died. Ducking to cover up her crying, she grabbed a tissue from her robe pocket and lightly blew her nose.

"I'm so sorry Lucy." He rubbed her hand as she dabbed her eyes with the tissue.

"It was raining so hard. I tried to keep it off you by placing your head in my lap and I called out for help. But I figured no one was hearing me. So... I waited...," she shrugged, "for what, I don't know...the end?" She shrugged.

That's why her voice was hoarse, she'd yelled for help. And there he had laid, weighing her down like an anchor, useless while she tried to cover him from the rain.

Lucy went on. "But, I heard a dog bark. And then there was Henry. Saw my ankle, went and got a walking stick for me and carried you back here despite us being cuffed. He cleaned you up and got clothes on you and I was able to shower. Best. shower. ever." She emphasized these last words with an enraptured eyeroll. "Oh, and he got the cuffs off."

Turning her head, she looked up at him smiling as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

That smile, and that gesture touched his heart, magnifying the feeling of failure in him. What Lucy just told him about the incident bothered him deeply. Carelessly he had led them into a rainstorm, to the edge of a ravine, only to tumble down it and get himself knocked out. Lucy had been terrified while he laid there oblivious to the world! She'd been so courageous through it all and he could have caused her to die.

 _Stellar job Flynn._

Her smile faded at the look on his face. "Why are you frowning."

Taking both her hands in his he apologized. "I'm sorry for not being there for you."

Lucy blinked. "What do you mean? You were hurt."

His words came through gritted teeth with anger seeping into his face. "I said you didn't have anyone to look out for you and told you that it was something I could do. I promised you we were getting out of this." Lucy felt the anguish growing in him and it matched the anguished rising in her. "You, so brave, and trying to save me from rain?! And there I was weighing you down, knocked out when God knows what could have happened to you!" By the time he reached the end of his sentence, he was yelling. The sheer volume of his voice and the hammering that reverberated through his skull made him stop. Taking a deep breath, he chuckled humorlessly to himself and squeezed her hands. "Seems like I'm still no good at this."

She knew what he was driving at and was stopping him right now.

"Don't you even dare. Garcia, you have done more for me than I could have ever imagined during this whole ordeal. You kept me alive and going when I so didn't want to. You encouraged me and made me hopeful." He frowned disbelief causing her to squeeze his hand imploringly, "Yes, you gave me protection, hope...and butterflies."

"Butterflies?" He asked bewildered.

"Yes…" Softly patting her stomach twice, "In here." His mouth fell slightly open as she continued. "You're the reason I've made it this far. And another thing, you said I didn't have anyone to look out for me. Well you don't either." Flynn looked away from her. Gently placing her hand on his face, she waited until he looked at her again. When he did, she smiled softly and whispered, "And guess what? I know it's something I can do." His eyes searched hers as her thumb tenderly caressed his bearded cheek. Letting out a deep sigh, Flynn placed his hand over hers, turned into it, and pressed a kiss in it. Bringing it down, he held it between them.

"Now who is this Henry?" He asked, all seriousness.

Lucy was a bit taken back and hurt at his abrupt change in topic. Trying to cover her wounded feelings she asked, "Are you done eating?" Looking over at the foodless tray.

"For now. Did he do anything to you? Say anything weird?"

"This guy isn't interested in me, has no ulterior motives and therefore, obviously is not bad. So, no worries." She replied sarcastically.

"This isn't funny."

"He's a good guy. I think you'll like him."

Flynn wondered what kind of good guy would be living way out off the grid. Was he hiding from someone? He moved to get out of the bed. Lucy stood taking her crutch. "Your sneakers are on the washer." Hobbling out, he followed her. Flynn looked around the cozy kitchen as Lucy handed him his shoes. "Henry's outside in the garden."

Outside they stepped onto the porch and immediately a dog barked and circled a man over in the garden of which Flynn gathered was Henry.

Henry looked up and smiled at them. Rising to his feet, he picked up a basket that he had apparently been filling with vegetables and walked towards them.

"Glad to see you're up, Jack!" He extended his hand. "Name's Henry."

Flynn looked at it, extended his, shaking it with suspicion as Henry continued, "How's the head?" He didn't wait for an answer as he went on, "Was trying to keep Jill here from worrying too much about you. Said you were strong and you'd pull through." Lucy looked at the ground not sure that she wanted Flynn to know how worried she had been.

Did he just call them Jack and Jill? Flynn checked the man over and replied.

"It's fine and thank you."

Henry looked him over before answering. "Let's get back inside so you two can sit." Walking around him he mounted the porch steps and went inside.

Henry removed his jacket and hat and hung them on the coat rack near the door as Flynn and Lucy took a seat at the table. Placing the basket of vegetables on the counter near the sink, Henry turned on the tap. He took a potato and placed it under the running water.

"Where are we?"

"Way upstate California."

"How far are we from a city and do you have a car?" Flynn asked.

Half turned toward them and half toward his task of cleaning vegetables in the water he replied. "Three hours and no. No internet or phone either. But! I have a friend that brings me supplies and he's due back here in…" Shaking excess water off his hand, he stepped over to a calendar on the wall that had a picture of a single palm tree on a white sandy beach surrounded by aqua blue waters. He lifted a sheet to peer at the following month. "About ten days." Flynn and Lucy's heart fell.

"Has anyone else been here recently or have you seen anyone?" Flynn asked.

Henry shook his head as he placed a wet zucchini on the counter. "Last soul I saw was Doug three weeks ago. No one really gets up here unless they have a mind to." He glanced over his shoulder. "I am surprised that you two made it up here on foot dressed the way you were. Shows you're both made of stern stuff. Anyways, told Jill that you're more than welcome to stay. At least until Doug comes. Bizmo and me wouldn't mind the company. Got most of the necessities anyone could want, hot running water from a well and tank. Got a toilet, shower, solar panels that charge the batteries in the hold so there's light and heat and propane tanks for cooking. Two bedrooms and a loft, fireplace and a TV that can play DVD's. Hope ya like Dirty Harry movies and Doctor Who," he winked. "Have meat in the deep freezer and vegetable garden. Fruit I have is in cans and jars. Tonight's meal will be steak, baked potato, with sautéed squash and zucchini."

"Thank you for helping us and opening your home. We really appreciate this." Lucy smiled sincerely.

"Not a problem. Now for lunch, it's hot dogs and chips! Who's in?!"

Flynn looked at him and wondered if he was right in the head as he saw Lucy shyly raise her hand in favor of the lunch menu.

Flynn wondered about Henry. He hadn't asked them any questions about how they came to be up there, hand cuffed and in dire straits. Just all friendly and hospitable. Looked like they were going to have to trust him for the time being.

"Jill's in. What about you Jack? Farmer Jooohn's," Henry sing-songed with his eyebrows raised. Flynn looked at Henry and then Lucy. Shaking his head, he raised his hand too causing Henry to laugh heartily.

At least he and Lucy were some where nice and safe Flynn hoped. But ten days? He couldn't go on sleeping in the same bed with Lucy. Her last words about watching over him sent him to the moon. But he didn't want to hope that she meant it, because he knew she would sober up and realize that he wasn't the man for her. And when that happened, he was sure he wouldn't be able to handle it.


	7. Chapter 7 - DAY FOUR

After lunch while Lucy took a nap, Flynn removed his bandage and shaved relieving himself of both annoyances. Henry was out checking his parameters with Bizmo, so Flynn decided to take him up on his invitation to look around the property.

Henry had told him to be his guest, walk around and check out the place which came with a warning to not overdo it. Apparently, Henry had been a medic in the army which was lucky for him and Lucy. He still wanted to know this man's story, but if he asked, of course he would want answers of his own from them. So, for right now, they seem to have a mutual understanding of ask not, tell not which worked fine for him.

He strolled out looking at the trees around him. He walked along what appeared to be a road that more than likely lead to the main one that lead to the city that was three whole hours away. Heading back, he detoured off to the shed which was painted dark green and about the size of a two-car garage.

Carefully he stepped through the side door and flipped on the light. Looking about he saw everything was neatly in there from a small hauling tractor, to tools, to boxes marked Christmas Decorations. Moving over to the work counter he picked up a jar that had some metal shards inside with the name Scott written on notebook paper taped to it. Recognizing what they were he guessed that Scott was a collector and wonder who he was to Henry.

Glancing over through the window at movement that caught his eye, he saw Lucy making her way toward the shed.

 _She wants to look out for me._

Thinking of what she'd told him in the bedroom brought back that uneasy, God awful feeling of pure unmitigated hope. With all that they'd been through, she wanted to do that for him, but still he was unsure if he should pursue it. But there hope sat, beaconing him to take it in and go with it…Take her in and go with her.

Lucy approached the shed looked in through the side door spotting Flynn standing at the work counter with his back to her. There was an awkward, hesitance that had fallen between them since their talk in the bedroom that morning leaving her in doubt about his feelings for her. Well, possible feelings for her because he hadn't flat out said anything to her farther than caring for her and wanting to protect her. So, maybe that was all and nothing more?

Crutching in she went over by the work counter and quietly leaned back against the shed wall, placing her head against the wood planks looking over at him. Flynn hadn't turned toward her or even looked up.

Silence hung between them.

Seeing the jar in his hand, she braved up and broke the silence. "What are you doing?"

He showed her the jar of metal shards.

"What's that?"

"Looks like Scott is a collector of artifacts. Arrowheads." He turned the jar showing the name on it to her.

"Oh wow, that's cool. I wonder who Scott is."

He shrugged. "Maybe Henry will tell us."

She looked up at him as he turned the jar around, viewing the metal points. He had shaved. All signs of his beard were gone leaving behind the handsome face she had become accustomed to seeing. "You shaved."

He set the jar down, "It was itchy."

"And your bandage?"

"Tired of it."

Not knowing what else to say she replied, "I hope it heals well."

"Me too."

Right then a big spider spun down the side of her head in her peripheral and she let out an ear-splitting scream.

Flynn jumped as her crutches fell to the floor and she began frantically shaking her hair out.

"What's wrong?!"

"There's a spider in my hair!"

He quickly went over to her and shoved his hands in it.

"Get it out, get it out, get it out!" She shouted holding on to him.

"Wait, wait, hold on, hold on." He looked through her hair and saw the culprit.

"It's tangled in your hair."

This earned him another screeching peal.

"Get it out before it gets in my ear!"

"It's too big for your ear."

Another scream.

Flynn successfully untangled it and brushed it out. "It's gone, it's gone."

One of her hands went to her hair, brushing and colliding with his. "Are there any others?"

"Move your hand." His voice sounded different. She looked up at him realizing the reason for it.

"Are you laughing?"

He shook his head breaking into more laughter as his hands carefully went through her dark silky hair.

"I'm glad you find this funny."

"You're good." He took her in his arms and started laughing harder. She felt his chest vibrate as he squeezed her. She hugged him back letting out a breath yet still peeved as he continued to laugh.

"Oh, Lucy." He said through breaths trying to stop.

"Not funny Flynn."

He pulled back looking down at her, placing his hands on her face. "You nearly stopped my heart with that scream."

"I hate spiders."

"Clearly." He laughed some more as he looked down at her lovely flushed face between his hands. Her eyes met his and a couple of more chuckles escaped him as she frowned. His hands slowly slid back into her hair. "Oh!"

"What?!"

"Wait, let me check your ears." Her worried frown still holding on her face, he brushed back the hair from her right ear, turning her head to the side to peer into it. To her shock, he softly kissed it. Moving her head back to face him, he saw her pretty features no longer wore a frown, but were filled with wonder. Letting his hand leisurely glide through her hair, he brushed it back from her left ear as he turned her head to check it too and placed a gentle kiss on it.

He turned her head back, and lightly touched his lips to hers. Pulling back, he looked into her brown eyes wanting to be sure. Lucy herself had stopped breathing as she gazed up into his dark green ones. She pressed against him and he kissed her again. Holding her soft lips to his, he felt her gasp and begin to kiss him back. Fueled by her response, his hands slid down from her hair, encircling her as Lucy's hands rose and went around his waist. Breathing in, she slightly opened her mouth and Flynn's tongue took the opportunity to touch hers causing them both to gasp at the sensation of all the pent-up tension that had been growing secretly deep within, with its baffling, unyielding pressure. As her hands went up enfolding around his neck, his arms pressed her closer deepening their kiss. He pulled back for air as she peppered his neck with kisses and he followed suit. Kissing her under her ear, he traced kisses down along her neck and a light giggle met his ears. He looked down at her and smiled taken in her bright eyes filled with passion. Repositioning his arms around her he impatiently closed his mouth over hers again. This time it was her tongue that searched his out and he let it willing be found and welcomed it. He heard a moan and realized it was from him. Taking in all of him, she moaned as well, slipping her hands into his thick black hair.

"Ugh!" Flynn exclaimed breaking their kiss.

"Omigosh, sorry, sorry!" In her enthusiasm, she had inadvertently pressed his wound. His hand went up to it, holding it as he squinted one eye shut from the pain. "I'm so sorry." She raised her hand and encased his. "I'm sorry." She kissed his chin. Both his eyes were closed now. "Sorry." She kissed him on his cheek. She waited for him to open his eyes. When he finally did she said with complete seriousness, "I can't reach the top of your head to kiss it and make it better, so this will have to do." She tenderly kissed his lips, then gingerly pecked the corner of his mouth. Stopping to give him a slight boo-boo face, she pecked the other corner. "Better?" She whispered returning to the other corner until he finally caught her in the middle and kissed her soundly. Feeling it all the way to her toes, they stayed under until she had to come up for air.

"Henry will be back soon to start dinner." She said breathlessly.

He chuckled, "Steak." His mouth found hers again as he slowly rubbed his arms up and down her back. She relished the feel of his surprisingly subtle lips and big warm hands caressing her back.

Reluctantly she pulled back. "I told him I'd start cutting up the vegetables."

He finally released her. Leaning her hand on the work counter, she steadied herself on one foot as he bent to pick up her crutches and handed them to her. Their eyes met again, and his hand went to her cheek giving her one last little lingering kiss before they left the shed.

After dinner they were all by the warm fire in the living room. Henry sat in a large easy chair with Bizmo lying by his feet snoozing. Lucy laid curled up under a quilt with her head pointing towards the corner of Henry's leather L shaped couch. Flynn sat right next to her slumped down lounging with his socked feet up on Henry's ottoman.

"So, how do you like Eve's Haven?" Henry asked breaking the silence. Flynn's eyes went to the wooden sign over the front door that bore the name.

"Nice, tranquil place. How long have you had it?"

"Just under fourteen years. But I've redone somethings." He pointed toward the ceiling, "Added the solar panels and the bedroom that you two are in and the western theme of which Jill said you probably would like because you wanted to be a cowboy when you were little."

Flynn was taken back by Lucy remembering him telling her his childhood desire. Henry continued, "Just like my son."

"Your son?"

"Um hm, you kind of remind me of him."

Flynn waited for him to continue.

"Fearless. But scared and lonely with the weight of the world on his shoulders… and the black hair." That unnerved Flynn, but he definitely was not showing that to Henry. "I always tried to tell him that he didn't have to hold everything in, that he could let go and live. But…then here I am, living here at Eve's Haven, not practicing what I preached."

"Does he visit?"

Henry let out a breath and shook his head, "Passed away almost ten years ago."

Understanding the pain he must feel, he replied, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, he joined the navy and was a SEAL and didn't come back from a mission." He stopped, and Flynn watched him as it looked like the man was trying to gather his words. "For some reason I asked how it happened, knowing the answer they'd give me. 'We can't confirm or deny anything.'"

"Scott?" Henry's eyes went to his and he barely nodded his head as Flynn went on. "There was a jar of arrowheads in the shed with his name on it. He collected?"

Smiling at the memory, he said, "He liked all kinds of collectibles. Comics, action figures, baseball cards. Always kidded him, calling it organized hoarding. Like his mom."

"Eve?" Flynn asked.

Henry nodded casting his eyes down. "She passed over five years ago."

Flynn closed his own eyes at the sharpness of the memory of his own Lorena and Iris. His hands went to his eyes, rubbing them when Henry spoke with understanding.

"I've seen that look enough times in soldier's eyes. Hell, even my own."

They fell silent for a bit. Looking into the fire. Flynn broke the silence.

"So, you just stay up here?"

"Yep, lonely as hell and hiding."

"From what?"

Henry gave him a look as if to say, you don't know? But answered. "Life. It moved along without them and I couldn't believe it took me with it."

They both went silent again, thinking of their own heartbreaks that still hurt.

Henry looked over at Lucy. "Jill seems like a really nice lady. Pretty too." Flynn gave him a look which made Henry hold up his hands and say, "Just a fatherly observation." Henry chuckled and became thoughtful. "There is someone in San Francisco. Doug also brings me my mail and there's always a letter in there." Flynn saw him kind of smile to himself as he gestured with his hands, "She has all this crazy frizzy red hair and chews gum nonstop and says, 'ya know?' at the end of almost all her sentences. Like, "Merry Christmas, ya know?" He said in a high-pitched voice making Flynn chuckle with him. "Damn if her letters don't make me laugh." His smile slowly faded off his face, sobering as he looked at Flynn. "It's clear you two care deeply for each other."

Flynn looked down at Lucy's sleeping form, "She'd be better off with someone else."

Henry laughed, "Try telling her that." He shook his head chuckling. "I learned one thing about women…well, maybe half a thing because they are some mystifying creatures, am I right?" Flynn chuckled as he went on. "But when they love…really love, it's with their whole hearts. No half assery here. Unconditional. And as a man, you kinda know it…deep down in here." He pointed to his stomach. "And you know how you know? The moment you realize that they make you want to be a better man." Henry paused, putting his hand to his chin, "Or maybe that's when you realize you love them."

Flynn blinked at what Henry said. Lucy had made him want to be a better man long ago and he was willing to bet hard money she wasn't in love with him then…But now?

"And," Henry cut in to his thoughts, "It's clear you're in trouble." His eyes carefully went back to Henry who went on. "In the house, if you need anything, open the pantry and lay your hand flat against the inside upper jamb. You have a safe haven here, and my help if you need it."

"You don't even know us." Flynn marveled.

"Jack, if you were going to do something to me, you would have done it by now. Unless you're a real sicko bastard."

Flynn and Henry were eye for eye unflinching until Flynn nodded. "Thank you."

Henry collapsed his easy chair kick out and rose. "Don't thank me yet because Ima put you two to work. Got some extra hands on deck and I'm gonna use them. Turning in, and goodnight." Flynn watched the unique man before him walk to the bedroom on the other side of the kitchen with Bizmo and closed the door.

He let out a breath. Henry had plenty to say, but his trusting them was the biggest surprise and gave him some relief. He had been on edge about them staying in a stranger's house, not knowing how this man was or his intentions. Hell, he still didn't really know, but this was where they were, and truth be told...it wasn't bad. Not at all. Henry seemed legit. He prayed that this good fortune would stay with them at least until he could get Lucy safely home.

Rising off the sofa, he went over to the pantry, opened the door and ran his hand along the inside upper jamb. Feeling the gun, he pulled it down, releasing it from the duct tape that held it in place. Flynn recognized it as a standard-issue US Armed Forces automatic pistol, caliber .45. He checked the magazine, saw that it was filled with real bullets, slid it back in and went to place it in the bedroom nightstand.

Returning to the sofa, he looked at the sleeping Lucy all curled up and cute. Kneeling beside her, he gently slid his arms under her small warm body waking her.

"Umm. Flynn?" She sighed softly.

"Shh-shh," He whispered scooping her up into his arms, lifting her off the sofa. Holding her close, he carried her to the bedroom and closed the door.

Sitting on the bed with her in his lap, he moved the quilt and blankets back from underneath him and gently laid Lucy down. Still half asleep, she moved herself over as he slid in beside her. Sliding his arm around her, she snuggled in laying her head on his shoulder and they fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8 - DAY FIVE

Lucy woke up finding herself alone in the bed.

Rolling onto her back, she rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hands before running her fingers through her hair. In the process of letting out a loud stretching yawn, Flynn opened the door. He was dressed in his black jeans and wearing a black long sleeve thermal shirt. She also saw that he'd shaven already which left him looking good and dishy.

He folded his arms, leaned on the jamb and thought how enticing she looked all rumpled and sleepy. "Are you going to get up today?"

Lacing her fingers behind her head she thought for a few seconds and replied, "Nah."

One eyebrow went up. "You're going to have to eventually. Might as well be now."

Locking eyes with him she slightly raised her head, "Uh, 'nah' means no." Both his eyebrows went up at her cheeky sass, as she placed her head back down and egged him on, "Yep. She said nah."

Two silent beats passed between them before Flynn quickly pushed himself off the jamb and was at the bed in two steps making Lucy squeak as he pulled back the covers, sat on the bed, and pulled her into his lap.

"You want to say that again?" He threatened as her hands went around his neck.

Giggling, she thought about it and looked into his dark green eyes and simply said, "Nah-."

The word was barely out before he placed his lips to hers. That's what he'd been wanting to do since he came into the room. See what Lucy tasted like in the morning. And oh, he wasn't disappointed. A moment later he pulled back with her still kissing his chin and neck.

"We better stop." He said, both breathing hard as he moved her off his lap. "Breakfast is-."

Lucy pulled his head down taking his mouth to hers with Flynn having no choice but to give in. The woman was successfully turning his insides to jelly. At that moment she could have asked him to do just about anything and he'd comply. Lucy had him and but good.

She pulled back, "Maybe ten days…nine days won't be bad."

Letting out a deep sigh, "We're still not in the clear."

"I know." She kissed his cheek, "Be nice if we could stay here."

His eyes met hers. "I'd like that. But," He pecked her lips, "I'm going to get you home."

They both stood with Flynn going to the door, reaching just outside of it, presenting her crutches. She took them from him and he held his hand out for her to proceed before him.

"I'll wait for you for breakfast." He said as Lucy placed her hand on the bathroom door. "Henry let it be known that he's going to put us to work in here today."

"Gotta earn our keep. Be out in twenty."

Having showered, she wound a rubber band around her wet hair into a firm ponytail and thought about him. It had taken handcuffing and four days of peril for them to arrive at this level of comfort with each other. The butterflies, that hadn't really stopped their mad fluttering sense their kiss in the shed, attested to that.

Their first kiss. So sweet, gentle, sensual, passionate and initiated by him. She never once thought of it being like that with him. Bright eyes shone back at her as she looked in the mirror with a giggle erupting from inside, her blushing face all dazzling. Despite the bruise, she was all aglow and it was almost bewildering. The kiss had awakened something in her that she never knew was there, tucked away, hidden and waiting. And it was done by… Flynn.

She stared at herself. Lucy couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same thing for her. It certainly seemed like he did, but he was a man of multiple layers and… Now, the thought of him not returning her feelings flared her doubts and insecurities. Maybe he was just very, very fond of her. Things like that happened all the time with one more all in than the other. Sobering and fighting the depressing 'he's just fond of you' thoughts, she turned her mind to their situation with whoever it was that was after them. Getting to safety was the first priority. To have to wait for Henry's friend to arrive was going to be difficult. She just hoped that they would make it until then and that whoever did this wouldn't attempt kidnapping them again. They were going to have to go to the police once they made it out. Explaining their situation to them was not going to be easy, but what other choice was there?

Reaching for the sweats, she slipped into a deep purple hoodie pullover and matching sweatpants Henry left out for her and went out to the kitchen.

While Henry was out hunting, he had a little chore list for them that they started on. They made it halfway through it by early afternoon. Flynn caulked the kitchen sink while Lucy sat on the floor, polishing an end table by the sofa.

Lucy laughed, "So you spelled it, M-A-I-N-T-A-I-N-E-N-C-E?"

"Yep."

"Awww! You practiced so hard!"

Flynn laughed and shrugged, squeezing the caulk gun handle and lining the white paste around the outer rim of the porcelain sink. "Third grade was tough. We had to learn to spell ten-dollar English words which are crazy. Never did another spelling bee again from that day forward."

"Spell it now and use it in a sentence correctly."

He glanced over at her and she gave him a challenging stare. Grinning, he turned around, leaning back on the sink. "Maintenance. M-A-I-N-T-E-N-A-N-C-E. Lucy Preston…" And he spoke that last words in Croatian.

Lucy blinked. It was the first time she'd ever heard him say anything in his own language and DAMN if it wasn't hot! Fire rose up on her face and around her fluttering butterflies causing their wings to fan the flames even higher. He stood there hot and grinning and all she could do was just look at him with her lips slightly parted in surprise. He gave her a wink letting her know he knew exactly what he just did to her.

Trying to recover what cool she had, she asked, "Translation please?"

He waited a beat and replied, "Lucy Preston is extremely high main-ten-ance."

She narrowed her eyes at him but couldn't help grinning.

Barking was heard off in the distance. An awful lot of barking, which made Flynn look through the window over the sink.

"That Bizmo?" Lucy called from the living room, pouring more polish onto the rag she had in her hand.

Looking out the window over the sink, Flynn saw Bizmo running through the woods towards the cabin when the dog suddenly gave a high pitch yelp and fell over to an abrupt stop.

"What was that?" Lucy craned her neck back to look into the kitchen.

Automatically, his hand went to the gun that was on the counter as he answered, "Something hit Bizmo and I don't see Henry." Adding as he moved toward her grabbing her crutches, "I want you to stay in the bedroom." He helped her up.

Quickly taking the crutches from him she asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about me, just stay in the-."

Their heads snapped toward the front door at the sound of someone on the porch. The door kicked in with a bang as Flynn jumped in front of Lucy, deftly aiming the gun.

It was Henry. He looked at them and fell to his knees and onto the floor.

"Henry!" Lucy exclaimed as Flynn ran over and quickly pulled him all the way in, closing and locking the door. He turned him over and saw the blood stain coming through his shirt from a wound on his side.

Sweat ran down Henry's face as Lucy got some towels out of the hall closet. "There's three." Henry wheezed out.

Flynn raised his shirt, viewing his wound. "Where?"

Henry let out a loud groan as Flynn heaved him up. "The road."

Half carrying him, Flynn eased him over and settled him down on the sofa with a grunt from Henry, "Saw a truck."

"Black GMC?" Lucy asked settling beside him, lifting his shirt and applying pressure to the wound making Henry suck in his breath sharply.

"The one. They spread out."

Flynn went around closing the blinds, "Were they wearing camouflage and one of them blond?"

"Yeah. He's the bastard that shot me." Flynn and Lucy made eye contact over Henry's wheezing form.

"Where are your other guns?"

"Bedroom closet...under the rug."

Flynn took off to the bedroom as Henry sucked in his breath again.

"Sorry." Lucy said concentrating on getting him to stop bleeding.

Flynn went to Henry's closet, yanking away the rug covering the secret hatch. He pulled it open revealing Henry's stash. Speedily, he laid the gun he had down, as a Glock caught his eye. He lifted it, released the magazine, saw it was loaded and clicked it back into place. Thinking nothing was better than one gun but two, he slipped it down behind him between the waistband of his jeans and his back as he heard glass breaking in the living room.

Grabbing the other gun off the floor, he ran out to see a tear bomb pouring out noxious gas near the fireplace. They all began coughing as Flynn made his way over to them.

"The basement." Henry pointed to the door. "It leads out."

Coughing, Flynn handed his gun to Lucy and quickly pulled Henry's arm around his shoulders, wrapped his arm around his waist, hefted him up and moved as fast as possible out of the living room that was quickly filling with the horrid vapor. Lucy had slipped the gun in the front pocket of her hoodie. She hurried before them into the hallway that led to the basement steps. Eyes tearing, she leaned on the crutch and twisted the knob, opening the door wide for them. Flynn got Henry through with Lucy shutting the door behind them.

She flipped the light switch by the door and a low watt exposed light bulb came on directly above their heads, barely lighting the stairs. They made their slow descent down into the coolness of the dark basement. Reaching the bottom, Flynn followed Lucy, maneuvering the groaning Henry around boxes, a ping pong table and an old bookshelf on its side. She hurried over to the steps that led out. Henry was sweating even more as Flynn set him down on the bottom steps.

His throat scratchy, Flynn coughed gut wrenching hacks making stars show before his eyes with the painful pressure pushing on his head injury. Wiping his eyes on his sleeve, and the sweat from his forehead, he moved around, hunting and rummaging through some of the basement boxes. The third box yielded what he was looking for, some mover's blankets, that he snatched up and headed to the staircase that led into the cabin and placed them as tightly as possible against the crack at the bottom of the door to keep the gas out.

Lucy was trying to simultaneous suppress her coughs and apply pressure to Henry's wounds with a larger towel. She took Henry's hand and placed it over his wound.

"Can you hold it steady?"

"Yeah." Henry nodded coughing and gritting his teeth.

Flynn made his way back over to them as Lucy wiped her watering eyes on her sweatshirt sleeve. "I'm going to have to take them out. Stay here." In a flash his hand slipped into her front hoodie pocket retrieving the standard-issue gun and started up the steps that led out.

Lucy caught his arm, "Flynn, wait!"

He turned on her, "We can't all of us go waltzing up there and we certainly can't stay down here!"

"Think about it first!"

"There's nothing else to think about!"

Calmly she tried to reason. "Look," Her shaky hand raised between them, "Normally I know you can beat and shoot the crap out of these guys, but you're injured too."

Shaking his head, "With the two of you unable to walk, Lucy... There's no other option."

About to wholeheartedly continue refuting him, his words sunk in deep down to the place in her that recognized them as truth. It was the best option. Flynn obviously was the most able bodied of the three of them. He would have to go out there and risk his life. Closing her eyes, feeling the air of defeat seep into her, Lucy slipped her hand into his.

"Okay."

Green locked on brown. She was releasing him to go do what he had to do and that said so much about her faith in him. His heart filled as bravery looked up at him. He had every intention of keeping his vow to get her home. He was coming back.

Flynn squeezed and released her hand as he moved down the steps. His hand gently touched her cheek as he bent down and whispered, "You're my Lucy." And kissed her.

Ending it abruptly, he went out to end the nightmare.

Flynn carefully lifted the basement door, his eyes darting back and forth, his gun at the ready. Seeing no one, he eased the door open more, taking a couple more steps up the stairs. He creeped out all the way, closed the door back and quickly moved over to the corner of the cabin. Lying back against it, he held up the gun and peeked around the cabin.

He heard nothing but birds and the wind blowing through the trees. He looked over to where Bizmo was off in the distance and saw that the dog was moving a little. He pushed off the cabin and started to make his way towards the front of it when a twig snapped.

Flynn's eyes darted to the sound and there was Blondy with a rifle and he fired a round at him. Flynn ducked out of the way. The round hit the side of the cabin as he fired back catching the guy squarely in the shoulder, sending him down. Blondy struggled to lift his rifle to shoot Flynn as Flynn menacingly approached him. He lifted the rifle up high enough and was reaching for the trigger when Flynn smoothly shot him again. This time the guy was down for good. Flynn relieved the dead man of his rifle noting the big bruise on his face that he had given him when he hit him with it a couple of days ago.

Two more. Where were they?

He moved back towards the cabin and froze when he heard a floorboard creak on the porch. Cat like, he maneuvered along the side of the cabin towards the porch flattening himself against the outer wall and raised his gun. Just barely sticking his head around the corner he saw...

No one.

He swore. Getting an idea from an old cowboy movie, he quickly picked up a rock and threw it, hitting the shed. Sudden gunfire opened up on the shed. Flynn quickly crawled under the porch. The gunfire appeared to be coming from the other side of the cabin. Hurriedly crawling and sliding through the dirt, mud and cobwebs to the other side he saw the guys legs through the lattice that covered the triangular opening between the porch and the steps, raised his gun and fired. The bullet tore through the guys' calf. With a loud yelp, the man fell to the ground grabbing his wound, placing himself completely in Flynn's sight and, he shot him again. Flynn recognized him as the guy from the warehouse.

Two down, one to go.

Flynn looked around for the other. One more weasel and they'd be out of there. He crawled out from under the porch and heard a loud yell come from behind the cabin.

"Garcia Flynn!"

Someone, male, was calling his name which was not good.

"Come out here you bitch! Yeah...Get over here!"

Flynn moved toward the back of the cabin with his gun raised. Arriving at the backyard he saw Geoffrey Marsden with Lucy in front of him like a shield.

"Drop it!" Geoff barked.

Flynn knew he could take him from there, but Geoff kept moving around with Lucy making her walk on her sprained ankle which made it difficult for a clean shot. He wasn't going to risk hitting her.

Geoff pressed the gun harder into Lucy's side and she flinched. "Try it and I'll shoot her where she'll bleed out slow… Now drop it."

Flynn tossed the gun and raised both hands.

Geoff tightened his grip on Lucy. "You two have been really hard to catch! Pissing me off!" His hand shook as he held the gun on Lucy. "Supposed to be an offering for me to get in with Rittenhouse."

The nut didn't say anything for a minute and they all stood there quietly sweating. Two trying to think of how to get this guy down and one thinking only of his misbegotten attempts at gaining favor with Rittenhouse.

"If I could just bring them the two people they desired, they'd let me into their world." He smiled soullessly, "See, I'm a great chemist and they could use my inventive drugs. I gave you," He nodded to Flynn, "My delayed reaction tranq that knocks you out two hours after ingesting. It was slipped into your lager at the restaurant and it keeps you out for almost twenty-four hours. She," He rammed the gun in Lucy's rib cage making Flynn take a step forward. "Uh uh, I wouldn't do that," he warned him, and Flynn stood still as Geoff continued, "Just got the regular twenty-four-hour tranq at her local grocery store where my guys picked her up."

He got quiet again and Lucy could feel him shaking. She decided to try and talk him down, "Geoff, you don't have to do this-."

Digging the gun hard into her ribs, silencing her, he enunciated, "You. Shut. Up."

Flynn's hands clenched and unclenched as Geoff went on.

"You know what they told me." He laughed to himself, "They said that you were no longer a threat." He stammered, "They said, they said you were no longer an interest to them! No longer a pain in their ass!" Geoff laugh, "Apparently you got a job and got domesticated again because you're in love with her. You love her."

Lucy and Flynn's eyes met. He saw her finger softly point at herself twice, then to the ground twice and then her hand made the shape of a gun with her thumb flicking twice. He ever so slightly nodded his understanding as Geoff went on yapping.

"And, while that is all sweet and touching, it's going to be unfortunate for the both of you because I'm going to kill-."

Lucy took that opportunity to slam the back of her head into Geoff's mouth. Caught off guard, he let her go giving a loud muffled "Umph!" as she dropped to her knees. Flynn was all the while reaching to the Glock tucked behind him in his waistband, pulling it free and smoothly shooting Geoff clean through the heart.

His body went to the ground like a felled tree.

Flynn ran over to Lucy and picked her up into his arms with hers encircling him and they buried their faces in each other's neck.

"He came in from the outside door just when we heard the second set of gunshots." She squeezed him harder, "We didn't..." Her breath caught in her chest and her eyes burned, "We didn't know if you'd gotten shot." He squeezed her harder.

Pulling back, he set her on the ground as she frantically looked him over, "Are you alright?" She asked him, peppering kisses on his face as she held it between her hands.

He responded by covering her lips with his and kissing her deeply.


	9. Chapter 9 - NEW DAY

All of them, including Bizmo had gotten into the black GMC truck that afternoon and Flynn drove the one hundred miles to the nearest sheriff station where Henry's friend Doug, who happened to be the sheriff of the county and a fellow company solider in the army, took Bizmo under his care and sent units out to collect the bodies. Leaving the truck with Doug, one of the SUV cruisers took them to the nearest hospital two hours from there. Flynn and Lucy were admitted for one night and got their injuries officially taken care of and Henry underwent surgery and was in the hospital for a little longer.

From there Doug arranged for his friend at the local airport to fly them home to San Francisco where, once there, Flynn saw Lucy to her home to her front door like he promised and kissed her. He was going right back upstate to tie up loose ends with Sheriff Doug and Henry.

That was over ten days ago.

During that time, she had taken another week off from teaching and gotten a new cell phone. She reached out to Jiya who promptly asked her where she'd been. She told her it was a long story and she'd fill her in soon enough.

She hadn't heard from him.

Now it was Monday. She had gone through her first day back like a zombie, trying to put one foot in front of the other and she had one more afternoon class to go.

But, in the middle of her US History 101 lecture, he walked in.

"Keeping in mind that president Thomas Jefferson commissioned Lewis and Clark's expedition which was after the Louisiana-." Having looked up from her lectern, she did a double take. There he stood wearing all black with his brown leather jacket. Their eyes locked as he took a seat in the very back row of the lecture hall.

Staring at him for a beat more she went on, "Lewis and Clark Purchase...Louisiana Purchase!... The expedition went from September 18-, I mean, May 1804 to May, September!…1806…"

Closing her eyes, she announced, "That will be all for class today!" She closed the book on her lectern with the students looking around at each other confused, "Term papers are coming up in three weeks. Any questions, please email my teacher's assistant, Lanying for office hour appointments and please don't wait until the last minute! You're dismissed!"

The students just sat there looking at her, shocked that she was dismissing them forty minutes before time. But they quickly snapped out of it. Lucy stayed at the lectern as the students filed out leaving just the two of them.

"How's Henry?" Flynn saw that she didn't need the crutches anymore. She was wearing a black pen skirt with a red cardigan and new beige Converse. Her black eye was completely gone.

She was beautiful, and he missed her.

"He's doing well." He stood, sliding his hands into his pockets, "Actually, he's here in San Francisco."

"Really? Where?"

He slowly started to descend the steps, "He contacted his lady friend and they're having dinner tonight. Which is why I'm here." He continued his descent.

"You're here about their dinner?" Lucy asked puzzled as she moved to the edge of the small raised stage, watching him come closer.

Shaking his head, he continued down the steps not taking his eyes off her. "I wanted to ask you…to dinner." He reached the bottom of the stage, the height of it brought them eye to eye.

Her eyebrows lifted, "Where have you been?"

Flynn looked at her face and she was ticked. "I was helping Henry out and dealing with Doug-."

"I know that." She shook her head, "You haven't called or even bothered to text and don't tell me you didn't have my number."

He actually looked bashful, "I know."

"Why?" She asked tightly.

He swallowed, "I wanted to give you time...to be sure…"

"To be sure what?" She snapped as she swiped a tear and crossed her arms.

He took his hands out of his pockets and Lucy saw that he was struggling for words.

"To be sure that...you want me. Want to be with me."

Her eyes widen, and she started to melt. "I thought you decided you didn't want me." She said quietly.

He stepped forward and gently pried her crossed arms free, taking her hands in his. "No. I do want you. I have for a while. I just wanted to give you time to think about-."

She kissed him sweetly on his lips, stopping his words. Pulling back, she simply said, "I want you." The look in his eyes was priceless and warmed her heart a thousand times over. They wrapped their arms around each other in a soul deep heartfelt embrace. He kissed her thoroughly with new passion and renewed anticipation.

Their lips separated. "I started to care about you when I first read your journal. I would read an entry and then look at the picture that I had of you in my cell. Then I met you. So infuriating and stubborn and persistent and funny… And I wanted to stop being the reason that you're in danger and start being the reason why you are safe. I want you to feel safe with me…like I do with you. Lucy, with you I feel like a better man. I feel...better. Like I could hope again and that it will be okay. You're the number one person that knows what I've done and to even hope that someone like you would want someone like me...

She raised her hands and wiped his tears, fighting her own. "When you suddenly stopped for months, I found myself wondering if you were all right. I even thought about asking Christopher if she could find out more info on you. Then I thought I lost you when you got hurt." She inhaled sharply at the memory as he raised his hand and wiped her tears making her smile. "Through all that we've been through, I've seen that you are a good man. With a lot of heart. And you, Garcia, are so strong and determined and brave and heart stoppingly gentle. And oh, do I feel safe with you. I thought you'd changed your mind because of all the pain you've gone through and I wanted to be understanding. But I also hoped. I hoped that you would want to let me in to your heart too. I hoped that you would...give us a try. With each other, we won't be lonely anymore. I would like that very much with you."

They enfolded their arms around each other again hugging. His lips found hers and they kissed with all their uncertainties, doubts and previous beliefs dissipating into faith, sureness and new hope.

"I love you. I love you beautiful Lucy."

"I love you Garcia Flynn."

They happily kissed each other for a time until she pulled back.

"You were going to ask me to dinner."

Flynn frowned, "Yeah."

She rolled her eyes, "So ask me."

He grinned, "Lucy, will you go to dinner tonight…with me."

She made a show of thinking about it, "Yes. I would love that."

He kissed her even more passionately this time, curling her toes.

"Am I still in your dreams."

"Oh yeah."

"Do I still give you butterflies?"

"Every time."

"Are you my Lucy?"

"I am." She smiled at his handsome face. "Now...are you going to kiss me?"

"Do you want me to?"

"I need you Garcia."

"I'm right here." He said in a low deep voice, setting her on fire.

They both got lost in their kisses and the beginning of the new love between them.

And they found with each other, their world became …timeless.


End file.
